Brendan Rodgers Irish footballer, manager Date of Birth: 26.01.1973 Country: Ireland

1. Early Life and Football Career
2. Managerial Career at Watford
3. Move to Reading FC
4. Swansea City and Premier League Success
5. Appointment at Liverpool FC

Early Life and Football Career

Brendan Rodgers is a former Northern Irish professional footballer and current manager of Liverpool FC. Born in Carnlough, Northern Ireland, Rodgers was the eldest of five brothers. He attended St. Patrick's College in Ballymena.

At a young age, Rodgers participated in Gaelic football and hurling before transitioning to football at age 13. He began his football career with Ballymena United, making 12 league appearances in three years. At age 18, he signed with Reading FC, primarily playing in the reserve team. However, his playing career was cut short due to knee injuries at the age of 20.

Managerial Career at Watford

On November 24, 2008, Rodgers was appointed manager of Watford FC. The team struggled initially, winning only two of their first 10 league games and facing relegation threats in January. However, under Rodgers' guidance, Watford's form improved, and they ultimately finished 13th in the league.

Move to Reading FC

After Steve Coppell left as manager of Reading FC, Rodgers became a candidate to replace him. Despite initially rejecting an approach from Reading, Rodgers eventually agreed to join the club for a fee of £1 million on June 5, 2009. His decision drew some criticism, but he ultimately won the forgiveness of Reading fans with an impressive start, including a 5-1 victory in his first game. However, a series of poor results led to Rodgers' dismissal as manager.

Swansea City and Premier League Success

On July 16, 2010, Rodgers joined Swansea City, despite rumours linking him with Manchester City. He continued his impressive managerial record at Swansea, earning the Manager of the Month award in February 2011. On April 25, 2011, he led the team to a 4-1 play-off win over Ipswich Town, securing their place in the Championship play-off final.

In the play-off final on May 30, 2011, Swansea City faced Rodgers' former club, Reading. His "new" team emerged triumphant with a 4-2 victory, making Swansea City the first Welsh team to reach the Premier League.

In their first season in the Premier League, Swansea defied expectations and avoided relegation. Rodgers signed a 3.5-year contract extension in February 2012, but it was announced in June that he would be leaving the club.

Appointment at Liverpool FC

On June 1, 2012, Rodgers was confirmed as the new manager of Liverpool. In July 2012, he released an open letter to Swansea City fans, expressing his gratitude for their support. He held his first training session as Liverpool manager on July 4, 2012, and the team's first match under his leadership was against FC Gomel on August 2.