'I love my life here' - Rodgers dismisses speculation he could quit Celtic

The Northern Irishman has been publicly critical of the board at Celtic Park in recent weeks but still wants to bring in new players

Brendan Rodgers has rubbished speculation that he could walk away from over dissatisfaction with the club’s spending during the transfer window.

The Scottish champions suffered a surprise 1-0 loss in their second game of the Scottish Premier League season to Hearts, thanks to Kyle Lafferty’s goal, as they look to secure a third consecutive domestic treble.

Rodgers has overseen a glorious period in the club’s history, with Saturday’s loss only his 17th in all competitions since taking the reins in 2016, but he has reportedly struggled with the board at Celtic Park over their inability to add players during the off-season.

However, the Northern Irishman has downplayed speculation that he could quit in protest over inaction in the transfer market and is still looking to improve his squad as they pursue an eighth league title in a row.

"I love my life here,” Rodgers told his post-match press conference. “Despite all reports, I don't work that way.

"I'd read somewhere else about walking away. I've got three years left on my contract here. My communication is very open, so that's certainly not the case.”

Addressing his previous gripes about transfer spending that he voiced before a 1-1 draw with midweek in the third qualifying round, he added: "Of course, we want quality players but there's still improvement in this squad and this team.

"All I want is for us to improve every aspect of the club."

Defender Dedryck Boyata missed the defeat to Hearts and has been linked with a move away from the club to either or , but Rodgers remains hopeful that the Belgian will remain at Celtic.

Addressing Boyata’s future, he added: “He is such a good player, and we don't want to lose him at this stage.

"He has been in discussions with the club for a period of time. Talks were put off in the summer because Dedryck was going to the World Cup and he wanted to see how it would go.

"He is a fantastic player and a guy who we want to keep."