Brendan Rodgers has made an honest admission about his relationship with the Celtic fans since returning to the club last summer.
Although not every supporter unanimously heralded his arrival, he has certainly changed perceptions over his first year back in the Parkhead dugout.
Celtic stand on the brink of Scottish Premiership glory and could achieve the title if they can take a point at Kilmarnock tonight, which would signal a successful ending to a campaign filled with drama.
Despite some precarious moments, the Bhoys have lost just once in their last 22 matches at Rugby Park, with a victory over Rangers last weekend providing the platform needed to get over the line.
Now, Rodgers has made an honest observation of how he believes his rapport with the Celtic support sits, given the circumstances of his comeback and exit first time around.
Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic unity is key to success
Without a doubt, a house united is better than one divided, and Rodgers has cited his belief that Celtic are at their best as a club when everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet.
On the flip side, he admitted some fans may still feel a tinge of awkwardness regarding his 2019 departure to Leicester City or at least harboured some initial reservations over his return.
He stated in his pre-match press conference before Celtic take on Kilmarnock [Celtic FC]: “I mentioned it earlier, it’s probably been a wee bit awkward in the first six months and maybe even now still for some supporters.
“They may never be able to shake off that feeling and I respect that and understand that. For me, I’ll deal with that the best that I can. But what I will do is keep looking to move forward and the best way to do that is by keeping everyone together. We’ve seen that, particularly over the last three months or so.
“That unity, we’ve had periods of the season where the stadium has been quiet and for me, that’s not Celtic. Celtic is very much that unification of supporters and players and (the) manager all fighting for the one cause.
“When that comes together, we’ve seen it so many times over so many years, that when it comes together it’s such a symbol of strength. Our plan and hopefully our motion going forward is to stay that way.”
Rodgers has been a key component of Celtic’s title push
In the face of external pressure, Rodgers has stood up and been counted every bit as much as his players, admirably handling the media and retaining belief in the group to turn things around.
His ‘we will write our own story’ comments come to mind more than most, at a time when Celtic produced some last-minute heroics to see off Motherwell and avoid falling four points behind Rangers in late February.
With the league title now within reach, fans may look back on that day as a turning point if their side can overcome the final hurdle.