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Brendan Celtic boss has resigned from his position as Celtic manager, with Martin O'Neill consenting to a short-term comeback.

The 52-year-old, that returned for a another stint at Celtic Park in 2023, secured back-to-back championships, adding to his earlier title triumphs from 2017 and 2018.

However, the ex- Liverpool and Leicester boss departs with the champions trailing their rivals by 8 points after nine matches of the this campaign.

A team statement disclosed that the manager tendered his resignation, which was approved with instant effect.

The majority shareholder, the club's largest shareholder, then added a blistering statement of his own, accusing Rodgers of divisive, misleading, and self-interested behavior.

O'Neill, 73, managed the team from 2000-05, securing three Scottish Premier League titles, three Scottish Cup titles, and a League Cup.

He will be accompanied by former player Maloney, who had 2 spells as a player with Celtic and holds coaching experience with Hibernian and Wigan Athletic.

The outgoing manager signed a three-year deal on his comeback and consistently stressed that he would fulfill the contract, since his previous exit in February 2019 had caused so much bitterness.

When questioned about extending that agreement in August, he maintained there had been no formal proposal.

However, Desmond has now given his side of the situation, saying the team were keen to keep the manager on beyond the conclusion of this campaign to reaffirm the club's complete backing and long-term commitment to him.

The businessman executive went on to say that his assertion that no offer had been made was just false.

This campaign has played out against a background of anti-management demonstrations at the stadium, and he blamed Rodgers of contributing to a toxic environment.

Another aspect in the opening stages of this season was Rodgers' seeming disappointment over transfer business, with multiple references to disappointing signings over the off-season.

Commenting after the two-zero loss at Dundee on October 19, he remarked: There's no way you'll go into a race and be handed the access to a Honda Civic and tell 'I expect you to drive it like a sports car'. It's not likely to happen.

Yet Desmond wrote: Every footballer signed and each player transferred during his time was done so with Brendan's complete awareness, consent, and support. Any implication otherwise is absolutely false.

That which has gone wrong lately was not due to our setup or model, but to one person's desire for self-preservation at the expense of others.