Brendan Rodgers has revealed that he was hospitalised in the wake of his sacking as Liverpool manager.

Rodgers leads Celtic into battle in the Old Firm derby on Saturday lunchtime midway through his third season in charge at Parkhead.

The Northern Irishman moved to Scotland seven months after being axed by Liverpool after a poor start to the 2015-16 season left the Reds in 10th place.

Rodgers has now revealed the toll taken by his dismissal and why he waited to get back into football with Celtic.

“I had left Liverpool in October,” Rodgers told the Coaches’ Voice. “It was early in the season, only eight league games in.

“I took the call on the Sunday evening, after the Merseyside derby. The owners felt they needed to make a change. I accepted the decision, and from that point I was no longer the Liverpool manager.

“On the Monday, I was offered another job. But I had always felt that I wanted to go in, where I could, at the beginning of a season.

“On top of that, I needed the recovery. Needed to get away. Liverpool had been an emotional rollercoaster. At such a huge club, one of the great clubs of the world, even the good days are difficult. I enjoyed every single minute of it, but it had taken a toll.

“I wanted to go away and reflect on my time at Liverpool, but also to regain two elements that I believe are absolutely vital to any manager: energy, and happiness.

“No matter what you do in life, I feel that you need both. But, in particular for a football manager, and for me at that time, they were crucial. If you are energised and happy, you can do your job much better.

“It was a case of turning the engine off on football for a little while. Spending some time with my kids, doing some travelling with my wife, and then tapping back into football in the new year.

“I went to Spain for a week. Then I came back, and flew to Dubai. Within a couple of days in Dubai, I was rushed into hospital.

“I went through all the tests. It was felt that I was having some issues internally, but then they got into the process of what had happened with work, with my life.

“They pieced it all together, and it was simply a case of my body being so tense, so tight, from all that had happened in finishing my time at Liverpool.

“It reminded me of the pressures you experience, and the expectations you carry, as a manager. Especially at the bigger clubs.

“It reinforced for me that it was time to find a calmness, to re-energise and make sure I was genuinely ready for the next challenge.”