Celtic have appointed Brendan Rodgers as their new manager, the Scottish Champions have confirmed.

The former Liverpool boss replaces Ronny Deila after agreeing a 12-month rolling contract.

His first task will be to guide the Hoops through the qualifying stages for the Champions League but he will also have to fend off the challenge presented by Rangers on their return to the top flight.

Rodgers said: “I am absolutely delighted to be named Celtic manager. This is genuinely a huge honour for me. I have followed Celtic all my life and to be given this fantastic opportunity and to be part of such a truly great football club is a dream come true.

“I will give my new role everything I have and do all I can to bring our supporters exciting, entertaining and winning football.

“The club has been in magnificent shape in recent years and has collected silverware regularly during this time. My objective now, of course, is to continue this work, to keep us at the top and again make our mark in Europe.

“I know what a magnificent support Celtic enjoys and I can promise our fans one thing — that I will be doing everything I can to give you a team that you can be proud of and a team that delivers.

“I can’t wait to be in Paradise with our team and our fans as we all get to work.”

Northern Irishman Rodgers has been out of work since being sacked by Liverpool last October, with the Anfield side sitting 10th in the Barclays Premier League.

But the 43-year-old will arrive in Scotland on Monday packing an impressive CV.

His first post in management was with Watford in 2008, where he helped the club avoid relegation. He quickly moved on to Reading but while he lasted just six months with the Royals, he enjoyed a more fruitful spell with Swansea, leading the Welsh outfit to the English top flight in the summer of 2011.

It was his performance with the Swans, guiding them to an 11th-placed finish, which persuaded Liverpool to hire him just 12 months later.

He even came close to masterminding the Reds’ first English title since 1990 in season 2013/14, only for their challenge to slip away.

However, he now has just eight weeks to prepare his squad for the task of reaching the Champions League, with their second qualifying round first leg scheduled for July 12th or 13th.

The Celtic board, though, believe he is the man to guide them back to the money-rich group stages after a two-year absence under Deila.

Celtic Chairman Ian Bankier commented: “We are delighted to welcome Brendan to Celtic as the club’s new manager.

“As expected, there was huge interest in the position of Celtic manager but we believe we have chosen the outstanding candidate to take the club forward.

“Brendan is a man with a tremendous pedigree in football management, he is someone who knows all about Celtic and someone who has a real passion for Celtic. He is also a manager who we believe has the talent, the drive and the determination to bring continued success to the club.

“We are sure Brendan will receive a fantastic welcome from our supporters and we now look forward with real excitement towards next season as we tackle the many challenges ahead domestically and in Europe.”

Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell said: “Brendan is a highly-sought after manager and we are pleased that we have been able to bring such a high calibre individual to Celtic.

“He has a huge and genuine affection for the Club. I know Brendan feels privileged to be named Celtic manager and I know he will give us everything he has to be successful at Celtic. Above all, he will bring huge experience, knowledge and ability to the role.

“We wanted to bring one of the biggest and best names to the club to match our own aspirations and those of our supporters — we believe, in appointing Brendan, that we have done this.

“We have appointed a special manager and we are sure he can bring some special times to Celtic.”