Brendan Rodgers is well-known for his calm demeanour and distinctive managerial style, but few are aware of the rich background that shaped him. Born to Christina and Malachy, he grew up as the eldest of five boys in the small Northern Irish village of Carnlough, a place marked by its troubled history.
This article delves into the lesser-known aspects of Brendan’s life, including his early passion for painting and decorating, which often took precedence over football. We’ll explore his childhood experiences in Carnlough, the challenges he faced, and the formative moments that led him to the pitch.
The Life and Times of Brendan Rodgers: A Manager’s Journey of Resilience
Additionally, we’ll cover the highs and lows of his football journey, including his time as an apprentice under José Mourinho and his remarkable rise to prominence as a football manager. Without further ado, let’s dive into the heart of Brendan Rodgers’ story.
Preamble:
This article provides an in-depth look at Brendan Rodgers’ story, sharing details about his childhood, early life, and family. You’ll learn about his parents, Christina and Malachy Rodgers, as well as his brother, Malachy Rodgers Jr., his ex-wife Sussan, and his current wife, Charlotte Searle. We’ll also explore his personality and other aspects of his life. To give you a glimpse into the engaging narrative of Brendan Rodgers’ biography, we’ll start with a pictorial introduction to his journey.
Discover the Intriguing Life Story of Brendan Rodgers: From Childhood in Northern Ireland to Family Life and Football Success
Brendan Rodgers Childhood Story:
For Biography starters, he bears the nickname “Buck Rodgers”. Brendan Rodgers was born on the 26th day of January 1973. He was born to his mother, Christina Rodgers and father, Malachy Rodgers. Brendan Rodgers’ birthplace is Carnlough, a seaside village in Northern Ireland pictured below via Google Maps.
Brendan Rodgers grew up in the troubled village of Carnlough.
The successful English manager has a Northern Irish family origin. He grew up as the eldest child of five boys. All siblings were born to his parents- Christina (mum) and Malachy (dad).
Brendan Rodgers came from a middle family background operated by his dad, who was a painter and decorator.
While his dad gets busy with his painting and decorating job, Brendan’s mum, Christiana, takes care of little Brendan and his brothers.
She sometimes gets herself involved as a volunteer for the Irish charity organization.
Brendan grew up experiencing the Troubles In Carnlough:
As a little boy aged 7, Brendan was among the other kids who were mostly grounded (kept indoors) because of the high crime rate in his troubled village.
Speaking of crime, on the 4th of June 1980, Irish Independence Party member and Larne Borough Council councillor John Turnley was murdered during armed campaigns in the village.
This was followed by the death of Loyalist bandsman Andrew Mason, who was beaten to death again by two local men in the village.
Brendan Rodgers Education and Career Buildup:
In the sleepy Northern Irish village of Carnlough, emptiness ended for most little boys, including Brendan, when there was football on their feet.
As far as the game of football was concerned, the Brendan Rodgers family was properly represented, in the fanbase of Sheffield Wednesday and Celtic.
Rodgers played football during the sports period while he attended All Saints Catholic Primary School in Ballymena, a town in Northern Ireland- 26 minutes’ drive from his family home. Sports participation wasn’t only the only thing that runs in the family.
Back then, Brendan Rodgers’ parents wanted their boys not just to get an education but still pick up a spare career.
While Brendan chose football, one of his kid brothers took up music, a decision that made his entire family proud in no time.
Did you know?… Brendan Rodgers’ family witnessed the early success of his kid brother Malachy Jnr who became a well-known country and western singer.
Brendan Rodgers Biography – Early Life (Career):
While his little bro excelled in his music career, Brendan Rodgers took his own direction in his quest to begin a football career.
After a successful trial in the year 1984, little Rodgers (pictured below) began his youth career as a defender with Ballymena United, his local team.
Brendan Rodgers during his early years as a youngster with Ballymena.
During his playing days, Brendan Rodgers idolized fellow Northern Irishman Anton Rogan, who was seven years his senior. He made a huge impression in his young career, a feat that earned him international recognition even before he graduated from the academy.
Did you know?… While still an academy player, Brendan Rodgers was called to represent Northern Ireland at the schoolboy level. Such maturity at an early age saw his club in 1987 projecting him into senior football.
Brendan Rodgers Early Years with his Schoolboy Team.
Rodgers continued to progress with his countryside after academy graduation.
In 1988, he continued to represent Northern Ireland after he moved to St Patrick’s College, playing against the best football country in the world- Brazil.
Brendan Rodgers played football the way he wanted his teams to play in an era when Northern Irish was totally unheard of.
Back then, his former coach could recall how he was so full of energy and was regarded as the future of the country’s senior team.
Despite all these accolades, little did Brendan Rodgers know about the DARK TIMES coming his way.
Tough Road to Fame Story:
After turning professional with Ballymena United, Brendan Rodgers, at the age of 18, signed for Reading.
Did you know?… His professional football career was brought to an abrupt end before it even started due to a genetic knee condition also known as Familial osteochondritis dissecans.
Brendan Rodgers suffered from a genetic knee condition that paralyzed his football career.
Without a doubt, any footballer who has lived through such injury, leading to an abrupt end of a career, will know only too well the deep emotional pain it can cause.
It took Brendan Rodgers years to overcome both emotional and psychological trauma caused by the incident.
Following his enforced retirement, Rodgers was compensated by Reading, who provided him with the job of a Youth coach.
In order to gain more coaching experience, Rodgers moved on to youth coaching in non-league football with Newport (IOW), Witney Town and Newbury.
Also, in a bid to supplement his low salaries as a youth coach, Brendan Rodgers began working with John Lewis stores to support his young family.
Brendan Rodgers once worked at John Lewis Store so he could feed his family.
Brendan Rodgers Bio – Rise to Fame Story:
How he got Help from Jose Mourinho: After gathering much money and multitasking as a youth coach and store manager, Brendan Rodgers, in the late 1990s, made the decision to travel to Spain in order to get an advanced coaching education.
After his education and having still retained his job at Reading, he began to apply for jobs with several top clubs, one of which was the rejuvenated Chelsea FC managed by Jose Mourinho.
Brendan Rodgers’ days as Chelsea Youth Coach.
Did you know? Jose Mourinho was so impressed with Brendan Rodger’s CV that he invited him for a Chelsea youth job, an interview which he passed.
Rodgers left his job as an academy director at Reading to move into the big world of football, becoming the head youth coach of Chelsea Academy in 2004. This was a time when Scottish national team manager Steve Clarke also worked at Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea as an assistant manager.
A good Jose Mourinho Servant:
Jose Mourinho promoted Rodgers to be a reserve team manager in his two-year Chelsea spell.
This promotion came because Brendan was very loyal to his boss (pictured below), who gave him the opportunity to grow.
Jose Mourinho promoted Brendan Rodgers due to loyalty during his days with Chelsea.
Following the special one’s departure, Brendan Rodgers was kept in that position by subsequent Chelsea managers Avram Grant and Luiz Felipe Scolari.
After getting enough time to grow, Brendan Rodgers left for Watford, Reading, and the almighty Swansea City as head coach.
At Swansea City, the less-popular coach began to receive public recognition as he guided the Welsh club to the top flight, an achievement that gave him the 2012 Liverpool job.
At Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers began a free-flowing, possession-based brand of football, which helped him come close to winning the 2014 Premier League title. Despite not winning, he secured Champions League football for the club (the first time in five years).
Following his exit from Liverpool, Rodgers was appointed the manager of Scottish Premiership champions Celtic.
Rather than crumble, the ex-Liverpool coach went from strength to strength. He led Celtic to an undefeated domestic season in his first year, and to wrap it all, Treble in both of his first two seasons. The likes of John Kennedy, Neil Lennon and Ange Postecoglou carried on before his eventual second return.
Brendan Rodgers won the treble twice for Celtic- His highest honour as a manager.
The rest, as they say, is now history.
About Sussan Rodgers – Brendan Rodgers Ex-Wife:
Back in the days, the football manager and his lover were just friends. Brendan Rodgers met his girlfriend Sussan at the time he was nobody, just after the moment of injury and decision to quit playing football.
Both dated for nearly a decade. Brendan was 28 years old when he married Sussan in the year 2001 WHILE he was still a no-body in the managerial world.
Brendan Rodgers’ wife, Sussan, lived happily together before their divorce.
Susan Rodgers stayed with her husband through thick and thin, from the moment he was a store manager at John Lewis to when he became Chelsea youth coach and, most importantly, at the time he reached the height of his coaching career at Liverpool.
Both lovers have been blessed with two children, namely; Anton Rodgers (born on 26 January 1993) and Mischa Rodgers. Below is a photo of Brendan Rodgers’ children from Susan.
Meet Brendan Rodgers’ children- Anton and Mischa Rodgers.
Did you know?… The son of Brendan Rodgers, Anton Michael Rodgers, followed in his dad’s footsteps.
The Irish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder began his youth career with Chelsea FC academy from 2006 to 2011, where his dad coached him.
Brendan Rodgers Divorce Story:
During Rodgers’ tenure at Liverpool, the relationship between him and Sussan began to get sour, a development that led to an intensive court battle between the two.
The need to provide financial settlement saw Brendan Rodgers getting involved in a multimillion-pound divorce row over his family property empire, which consists of 102 houses worth millions of pounds (DailyMail Report).
About Ms Charlotte Searle – Brendan Rodgers’ Wife:
The manager divorced Susan after 14 years of marriage in the year 2015. He endured and waited for two years before proposing and getting married to his latest wife, Ms Charlotte Searle.
It was a fairytale wedding that happened at Loch Lomond in Scotland in the year 2017.
Brendan Rodgers married Charlotte at the Loch Lomond golf club in Scottland.
Brendan Rodgers married Ms Charlotte Searle in 2017, just four months after he proposed in New York.
Before her marriage, Ms Charlotte Searle was a divorcee who met Rodgers while she was working as a Liverpool FC travel coordinator, and he was still the manager of Liverpool.
Little is known whether their earlier meeting was the cause of Brendan Rodgers’ marriage issues which led to a divorce from his ex-wife Susan.
Charlotte Searle oozes confidence in every one of her snaps. She is a selfless person who does nothing more than provide emotional support for her man, even though it means putting her own life and distant job on hold.
Charlotte Searle enjoyed every part of her husband’s success at Celtic.
Personal Life:
Getting to know Brendan Rodgers’ Personal Life away from football affairs would help you get a complete picture of his personality.
Away from the pitch, Rodgers is described as a friendly, polite and generous man who loves to associate with nearly everyone- from his loyal fan to the restaurant waiter.
Getting to know Brendan Rodgers’ Personal Life away from football.
Rodgers believes in happiness rather than pursuing money, even though making it is a necessary evil.
According to reports, he once turned down an approach from a Chinese club during the summer of 2018, telling BBC Scotland that “With China, it’s big money, but I’ve found happiness here.”
Brendan Rodgers Family Life:
In this section of our Biographical write-up, we provide more information about Brendan Rodgers’ family. Let’s start with his mum.
About Brendan Rodgers Mother:
Christiana had a different Christian religious view from her husband, which she didn’t allow to have any negative impact on Brendan and his brothers.
Brendan Rodgers’ Mother (Christina Rodgers) was a devout protestant until her death in 2010, the year she suffered from a tragic heart attack.
About Brendan Rodgers Father:
Malachy Rodgers, the father of Brendan Rodgers was a painter. Also a decorator and, most importantly, a devout catholic.
He lived and suffered from Cancer at the late stage of his life. Malachy couldn’t bear it after his wife Christiana passed on in the year 2010.
Malachy Rodgers died from the effect of cancer disease just after his wife left the world.
Brendan Rodgers Brothers:
Rodgers’ family is made up of male siblings. And as stated earlier, he isn’t the only member of his family to have tasted success.
Brendan and his brother, Malachy Rodgers Jnr, are well known as the successful Rodgers.
Malachy Rodgers Jnr, pictured below, made a name for himself by going on to pursue a music career in Nashville, Tennessee, United States.
Nashville-based Malachy Rodgers Jnr is nicknamed as ‘Mal‘. He starred on the BBC talent show ‘Country Cool‘ in his native Northern Ireland. This was before he headed to the US (Tennessee), where he became a cult hero.
On the other side of richness, one of Brendan Rodgers’ brothers is Declan Rodgers. He didn’t make it to becoming rich and successful.
Poor Declan Rodgers, pictured below, was once slapped with bankruptcy. This happened after being chased for serious debts.
Lifestyle:
Rodgers is a multi-millionaire boss. He once received a handsome compensation package of around £8 million. This happened when he was sacked as Liverpool’s manager in October 2015.
Moving on to Celtic, he also became the highest-paid boss in the club’s history, earning around £45,000 a week.
Despite all these monies, Brendan lives an average lifestyle on the outside. This implies that Rodgers has a strong grounding on how to keep his finances in check and organized.
He is not a social media person, having no accounts (at the time of writing). Brendan is a man who loves to focus on his job.
Getting to know Brendan Rodgers Lifestyle Facts.
Brendan Rodgers Facts:
Rounding up the Biography of the Manager, we’ll use this section to unveil more truths that relate to him. Now let’s begin.
A Difficult 4 Years of His Life:
The years starting from 2010- 2014 were said to be the most traumatic years of Brendan Rodgers’ entire life.
Those years were engulfed with Family troubles. Which contrasted with pressure from professional success (as seen during his days with Liverpool).
Starting off, Family heartbreak started when he lost his mum, followed by his dad a few months later.
The tragic succession continued when Rodgers lost his wife (via divorce), lost his properties (to divorce) and finally, lost his prestigious Liverpool job.
His latest wife’s ex-husband took his own life:
Brendan Rodgers’ new wife, Charlotte Searle, was formerly married to Steven Hind, a business development manager.
Both pictured below were married for 17 months. They had a daughter together before eventually getting divorced in 2013.
Brendan Rodgers’ wife’s ex-husband ended his life after his wife left him.
Did you know?… Steven Hind was found dead in his room in the popular London Bosco Hotel. His colleague observed he died after failing to turn up for work around October 2017.
The ex-husband of Brendan Rodgers’ wife took his own life after writing a note saying ‘he could not go on‘.
His Son was Accused of Assault: Just after Brendan Rodgers just split up with his wife, his family woes continued. This time, Rodgers’ son (Anton) and three other persons got into trouble.
They took pictures of themselves while se*ually assaulting a teenage woman. This action led to their arrest and prosecution in court.
The Manager’s Son was once arrested after he physically attacked a lady.
The offence was said to have happened at the Jury’s Inn Hotel located in Brighton in July 2011. Painfully, Brendan Rodgers watched his son’s court trial from a public gallery.
Anton was later acquitted after being accused of se*ual assault, which his dad labelled ‘A Disgrace.‘
Fact Check:
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