Brendan Rodgers will be the highest paid manager in Celtic’s history – but I am not convinced that it is the financial lure that has brought him to Celtic.

There is no question that this is a guy who has an affinity for the club and who was brought up with Celtic. He is also the third manager from Northern Ireland that the club have had – and Martin O’Neill and Neil Lennon did not too badly when they were in charge.

But, and I said this way back, there was always going to be a change after that inept defeat to Rangers in the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final and the club were always going to go big.

However, they have succeeded in pulling a real rabbit out of the hat. Brendan Rodgers is a man who was managing one of the best teams in the world in the most lucrative league in the world not too long ago.

Six months ago who would have fancied that he would have come to Celtic?

And while I think you have to doff your cap to Peter Lawwell and Dermot Desmond for going all out to bring in a manager of considerable repute, I also think his appointment underlines the magnitude Celtic’s name still carries.

And while Rodgers has been used to managing in a far bigger league with huge financial resources, he is coming to a club that is just as big as any club south of the border in terms of historical pedigree.

It will be interesting to see just what signings Rodgers makes this summer, but I fully expect that given his background and standing within the game that he will be able to attract at least a couple of substantial signings.

To that extent, I suspect that just as the club compromised financially to bring Rodgers to the club, so I believe they will also push the boat out to bring in one or two established players who add significantly to the quality in the squad.

Steven Gerrard was linked with a move almost immediately and while that might sound initially outlandish, who is to say that it might not happen? Under Rodgers I believe that such a signing could be a possibility, particularly when you consider that it is unlikely Gerrard would want to return to another English club.

But what a manager like Rodgers does is attract a certain calibre of player, raises the profile of the entire club and excites everyone connected with Celtic.

His appointment on Friday evening – and hats off to Celtic’s PR department for that one after they were all over Saturday’s backpages – had people scurrying out the door to renew season tickets as quickly as possible.

And that is what it is all about. It is a manager who puts bums on seats, who comes with a reputation of playing expansive, entertaining football with a flexible approach to tactics and lay-outs.

His first remit, of course, will be to get Celtic through the group stages of the UEFA Champions League. It is a big ask for any manager just coming in because, as we all know, arguably the most crucial games of the season come before a competitive ball has been kicked.

But ultimately, this is where any Celtic manager now will be judged. I would suspect, though, that if he can get Celtic into the group stages of the tournament that he will fancy himself of going and having a right good crack at making a strong impact on the group.

All in all, it is a formidable appointment and one that few of us would have been able to envisage not so long ago.

It is great for Celtic but it is great for the game as a whole to attract managers who put the game on the map. We are about to go into some very interesting times and you can understand why people are desperate to be a part of it.

However, while there was always going to be a big change this summer I have to say that Celtic went about their business impeccably. It was not just the swiftness of Ronny Deila’s replacement, but also the manner in which the Norwegian was able to leave with his head held high.

He rightly got his chance to enjoy the moment and say goodbye to the club support and when you look at what happened at Manchester United this weekend and the sour end to Louis Van Gaal’s time at Old Trafford, you have to congratulate Celtic for what was a seamless change of the guard.