Former Celtic Academy star praises Brendan Rodgers | OneFootball

Before Brendan Rodgers informed him of his release from his boyhood club, Sam Wardrop had yet to make a senior appearance for Celtic…

April 26th 2017, Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Scottish Youth football Cup Final, Celtic versus theRangers; Sam Wardrop shows off the cup with some fans. Photo: Vagelis Georgariou

Even seven years on, the Celtic academy graduate still applies the lessons he picked up from the current Hoops boss. The right-back aimed to establish himself at the club during Rodgers’ initial tenure, having come through Celtic’s ranks and led the now defunct U20s to a Scottish Youth Cup triumph in 2017.

Following a loan spell at Dumbarton, he was let go a year later. Wardrop insists he saw it coming due to the abundance of quality players in his role, and he still remembers the respect and personal attention Rodgers showed when delivering the disappointing news.

Speaking via Daily Record, Wardrop said: “Brendan told me there wouldn’t be any more contracts. I was expecting it because there were three or four right-backs in the team.”

April 26th 2017, Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Scottish Youth football Cup Final, Celtic versus theRangers; Goalscorers Calvin Miller Sam Wardrop and Aidan McIlduff Photo Vagelis Georgariou

“I had a couple of meetings with Rodgers and even him giving me time and space was something he didn’t need to do. That’s something that’s always stuck with me, just in terms of how to respect and treat people.”

Wardrop added: “I’d imagine it’s still the exact same. It’s probably one of the best environments I’ve been in. Even though I wasn’t directly part of the squad, being in the same building, training ground and having conversations with him, he’s just got high standards and I took a lot of those lessons moving on in life.”

Brendon Rodgers, Manager of Celtic, looks on prior to the match between theRangers and Celtic at Ibrox on August 31, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

“You have to have high standards if you want to succeed in anything. I loved my time at Celtic.”

Following his departure from Celtic, Wardrop joined Dundee United and later played for Dumbarton, Airdrie, and Sweden’s third-tier club Ljungskile SK.

Now 27 and a free agent, he emphasises that he has no intention of retiring from football. “I wouldn’t say I’ve hung up the boots,” he said. “I’m 27 and not playing to pursue a career, I’m playing for the joy of it.”

Wardrop now runs a successful Player Programme as a coach and is a football Content Creator on TikTok and Instagram having gained around 135,000 followers.

Conor Spence

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OUT NOW! Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Foreword by Danny McGrain. Published on Celtic Star Books. Click on image to order.

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