Mention the UEFA Champions League and Saidy Janko in the same breath to Celtic supporters and the association may not be immediately positive.
Janko’s participation in past summer European qualifiers at the Bhoys has often been used as a sign of how unprepared Celtic had been for those gauntlets at times, but to the Gambian international’s credit, he is now a fully-fledged group-stage participant.
The right-back has started both of Young Boys’ matches in this year’s tournament, with Janko forging a decent career for himself post-Celtic that has included stints in Ligue 1, the Bundesliga and La Liga.
But he still recalls his time working under Brendan Rodgers as a big positive and reckons his arrival at Celtic in 2016 was a step up in standards from the previous regime.
Asked by World Football Index about working under both Ronny Deila and Rodgers, Janko didn’t hold back, stating: “Ronny Deila was a decent coach but Brendan Rodgers was a top-class coach and on another level.
“You could tell that Brendan had worked at the highest level of the game with Liverpool before he came to Celtic. He made a positive impression on me and the squad as a whole with his man-management style and his tactical awareness.
“The difference between both coaches was massive and it was no surprise for me to see Brendan Rodgers achieve great success at Celtic after I had left the club.”
Janko ultimately didn’t make a big impact under Rodgers after some injury issues and the presence of Mikael Lustig. He eventually moved on loan to Barnsley before departing permanently the following summer to St Etienne.
He’s played for some big clubs throughout his career including Porto and Nottingham Forest. Now 27, he is playing at the highest level in the Champions League groups for the first time.
I’m not sure many would have predicted he’d hit those heights following his exit from Glasgow, but it’s nice to see him happy, enjoying his football and recalling the Hoops fondly.
