Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers 'saddened' at backlash to remarks made to female journalist

Rodgers, from Carnlough in Co Antrim, has faced a barrage of criticism following his “good girl, well done” comment on Sunday – made to BBC reporter Jane Lewis after his team left it late to defeat Motherwell 3-1.

Current Scottish Premier League champions Celtic are two points behind rivals Rangers in the title race.

The remark followed Rodgers being asked to elaborate on his view that “the story has already been written about this group, but we will write our own story”.

When asked to clarify what he meant by that, he told Ms Lewis: “No, no. You know exactly what I mean.”

When pressed to elaborate, Rodgers ended the interview and was then heard saying: “Good girl, well done.”

Despite the backlash, Ms Lewis said she was not offended, and Rodgers has now said the pair have laughed it off.

Rodgers said: “Sadly for me, in society now we are either looking to offend or find something that is offensive to try and pin on to people.

“I find it saddening as much as anything because one, I am not that type of person, I can never be that, it’s not how I’m built. But also it saddened me for society now because people are just trying to find ways to somehow bring you down if they can. It’s not nice.”

The former Liverpool manager added: “I have spoken to Jane. She wasn’t offended. We had a laugh about it, she will continue to ask me awkward questions, I’m sure.

“But I see her every week and we have good relations, like I have with most people in my life, whether that’s professional or social.”

Ms Lewis said: “Clearly, the interview on Sunday has become a talking point. I don’t believe there was any offence meant by Brendan Rodgers – and for my part, there was none taken.”

However, a spokeswoman for the Scottish Feminist Network said: “Rodgers’s throwaway comment encourages other football fans to behave in a similar way, demeaning women they work with or engage with. It has to stop.”

She added: “That the go-to attitude of a manager of a winning team was condescension is quite illuminating but really very depressing in 2024. We thought dinosaurs were extinct”.