I had to give Celtic boss Rodgers his big break after getting Mourinho's backing, says former Watford chairman

The departure of Aidy Boothroyd from Watford left Simpson with a decision to make and a dugout to fill. It was Brendan Rodgers, then just 35 and without any managerial credentials at first team level, that he turned to in November 2008.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Read more: Mark Warburton was a gamble worth taking and I hope it pays off for Rangers, says former Watford chairman Graham Simpson

What Rodgers lacked in experience, he made up for in enthusiasm and ideas. His playing career had been cut short through injury, but his sights were still set on the top of the game.

It was the move to Vicarage Road that was the starting point and his journey has now taken him to Parkhead.

There have been highs and lows along the way for the Northern Irishman but Celtic fans believe their club is on an upward trajectory with Rodgers at the helm.

Read more: Mark Warburton was a gamble worth taking and I hope it pays off for Rangers, says former Watford chairman Graham Simpson

The Hoops are firm favourites for the Premiership title, have a Champions League clash with Borussia Monchengladbach to look forward to on Wednesday and an Old Firm showdown to relish at the weekend.

The Hampden clash will see Rodgers go head-to-head with former Watford colleague Mark Warburton for the second time since his move to Glasgow.

Travel company supremo Simpson was at the Hornets helm when both men were given a chance to live the dream. It is no surprise that Rodgers is fulfilling his ambitions.

“I employed Brendan and I gave him his break when he was at Chelsea,” Simpson told SportTimes.

“I employed him at Watford but I didn’t work with him for very long. I left about a month or six weeks after he joined us.

“I am very pleased for him. I heard the rumours that he was a good man so I did my homework on him and unfortunately I only worked with him for a few weeks.

“I am pleased for him more than anything because he is a good guy, a nice man, a thoughtful man. I think throughout his career he will do very well and I hope he does that at Celtic.

“I interviewed him twice and what impressed me was his overall understanding of football.

“He had a tremendous knowledge. He had been working for a great deal of time at Chelsea and before that at Reading.

“He had been working on how he would play his football and I was impressed with his huge attention to detail that I didn’t find in many managers.

“I was impressed with his passion for the game and his vision for the quality of football that he wanted to play.

“He was brave and said ‘this is the way I believe the game should be played and I want to take that forward’. I liked that very much.”

It was a leap of faith from Simpson as Rodgers was given his big break. The pair would only work together for a short time, but the 70-year-old has kept a close eye on Rodgers’ career since.

Read more: Mark Warburton was a gamble worth taking and I hope it pays off for Rangers, says former Watford chairman Graham Simpson

The move to Glasgow has provided Rodgers with a chance to stride forward once again after his career took a step back when he was sacked by Liverpool.

He has formed an instant bond with the Celtic support and been given a ringing endorsement by the Parkhead board.

And Simpson believes it is easy to understand why people put their faith in the man from Carnlough.

“I found him to be a good man manager,” he said. “He didn’t come across as someone who would be a shouter or a screamer in the dressing room, as some managers are.

“He had a tough career as a player and had to retire early and he was, I felt, the kind of manager that would manage players well without screaming at them.

“There are only so many times you can do that before he blocks you off. That is what attracted me to him, plus I had heard on the grape vine, as you do in football, that the players at Chelsea liked him and liked working with him. He got on well with Mourinho.

“We did ring Mourinho and ask and he gave a very complimentary view of him. All of that combined made us think we would try him and have a punt, as it were.

“I am glad to say it worked well, although he didn’t stay at Watford very long and went back to Reading, which probably wasn’t the best move for him.”

Celtic are the latest chapter in the Rodgers story but it has not always been a fairy tale script.

His time at Vicarage Road was short-lived and he would return to Reading just weeks after keeping Watford in the Championship.

In hindsight, it was the wrong move to make. With the Royals languishing in the relegation zone, Rodgers was sacked six months into the job.

The knocks have not deterred him, though. His success at Swansea lead to Liverpool and now it is at Parkhead where he is looking to bounce back once again.

“I think he has made mistakes but you only learn in life by making mistakes, that is how you develop and evolve,” Simpson said.

“He was so unlucky not to win the Premier League at Liverpool. I don’t profess to be a knowledgeable man on football, more as a chairman, but I think he changed his style after that and I don’t think that was the best move.

“He was doing so well and it was disappointing that he lost his way. I think he stayed out of the game to find the right club to come back to.

“To come back at a club like Celtic is an immense pressure because of the expectations there are so high.

“The important thing, as with all managers, is that he will need time from the fans, the chairman and the board. If they give him time, I see no reason why he won’t do a very good job there.”