BRENDAN RODGERS last night insisted Mark Warburton would walk into a top club and prove his doubters wrong.

The Celtic manager also hinted that Rangers would need to get their house in order at board level or it wouldn’t matter who replaced the Englishman ahead of next season.

Rodgers and Warburton are friendly and, while they haven’t spoken since the dramatic events of last Friday night, the Northern Irishman sent his old coach a private message and was happy to back his abilities in public.

And was adamant the now ex-Rangers boss would not be out of football for long.

Rodgers said: Mark will get a really good job. He’s an outstanding coach and a good man. He’s got good values. He is a good fella with good morals. He has many different experiences other than football.

“He did a brilliant job for me in the short time I was at Watford. A conscientious guy who wants players to develop. A lot of the work which went on behind the scenes will have gone unnoticed at Rangers but his directive and passion was definitely for Rangers and he absolutely loved it.

“I can’t help but feel disappointed for him and Davie (Weir) and Frank (McParland). I remember after the Celtic-Rangers game at Hampden, not that long ago, when everyone was lording about the work Mark had done.

“He had come into a difficult situation. He’s come in to work with a certain restriction, he’s trying to come in and provide a base for the club which allows it to hopefully grow after he’d gone in terms of imposing a playing style and in terms of where the club was at. And he’s then looked to build on that.

“They had a great year in the first year, imposed that style, the supporters enjoyed it, they had good success, they beat Celtic which was a big measure for them and so much so that they thought they would win the league this year. It’s never that easy.

"They came in this year and of course it’s been a little bit difficult because of so many signings and what-not. But it’s a tough league. When you are Rangers then people want to do very well against you.

“So I’m disappointed really in how it ended for him because I knew his passion for Rangers and I knew how much he wanted to do well and I don’t think anyone was arguing that before the summer. I also feel for big Davie Weir who I know idolised the club and was a legend at the club. These guys were giving their lives to it."

Without specifically mentioning Rangers, although it was clear where he was coming from, Rodgers made the point that any club as to get it right at the very top or the manager, no matter who he is, has little chance.

Rodgers said: “The key thing you look at as a manager before anything is the alignment at the top of the club. I came into here and I looked to see if it is aligned at the top of the club.

“One in terms of the interest, that’s shareholders and their interest, and two it’s strategy. If you don’t have that alignment, you can put in what you want, a director of football or four managers, it’s very, very tough.

“If there is alignment at that level, it will allow you to build, develop and grow. If a serious manager is looking, it is something that has to be right. If they think it’s workable it can be a good job.

”I came to Celtic because of the stability of the board, the intellect of the board. I knew, when I met and spoke with them, what they were about and what their interests were.

“I needed to ensure that the strategy which I wanted to work was aligned with that. There is no big confusion. There are major shareholders at Celtic who invest in the club. But sensibly. There is consistency in how the club is run. There is no fragmented approach. It’s very simple.

“Peter (Lawwell) on a day-to-day basis. Me in football. That’s it. I speak with Dermot (Desmond); that’s the leadership. There is no messages on email, no nothing. It’s very simple and simplicity is the best way.”

Rodgers was asked whether the gap between his club and Rangers would put off any potential candidate. “I don’t know. All managers have egos, don’t they,” he said.