Matt Mills, the former captain of Reading FC, has voiced his criticism of former manager Brendan Rodgers, drawing comparisons between Rodgers and the comedic character David Brent.
During an appearance on the Under the Cosh football podcast in 2022, Mills reflected on his brief tenure under Rodgers, stating, “It turns out I don’t really like the guy at all. He just spun me the best line ever and I was like, ‘This guy is unreal’, so I ended up signing for Reading.”
Mills further elaborated, “He sold me a dream. He talks the best game ever. Great coach, to be fair.”
“During one team meeting, he began speaking in Spanish, despite there not being any Spanish players present. We were all baffled,” Mills recalled.
Although Mills likened Rodgers to the comedic character portrayed by Ricky Gervais, he did acknowledge Rodgers’ coaching prowess. However, he admitted that Rodgers’ style wasn’t compatible with Reading’s squad.
As a consequence, Rodgers’ tenure as manager of the Royals was brief, culminating in his departure from the club in December 2009, with the team positioned just one place above the relegation zone.
Mills further remarked, “He’s like David Brent out of The Office. I have to give credit where it’s due; he’s a great coach. However, his preferred style of play didn’t align with the players we had at Reading.”
“I signed with a knee injury and underwent surgery during the summer. The surgeon advised me not to train during the off-season, warning that I might be slightly unfit and overweight but that my knee would recover fully. When I joined Reading, I was indeed out of shape and needed to regain fitness. At the start of the season, I played only three games. Despite scoring on my debut, which ended in a loss, and securing a draw in the subsequent match, my opportunities dwindled when he brought in a player from Celtic, and I found myself sidelined.”
“I once went to him and said, ‘Gaffer, we’re at the bottom of the league and I can’t even get a chance to play here.’
“Believe it or not, he just turned around and said, ‘Gucci belt.’
“He seemed more interested in the lifestyle. Quite a peculiar guy.”
Despite his less-than-stellar tenure as Reading’s head coach, Rodgers went on to achieve success with Swansea City before taking charge at Liverpool.
Rodgers, now 51, has returned to Celtic for his second stint as manager of the Scottish champions.
Meanwhile, Mills continued his journey, eventually becoming Reading’s captain and making a total of 75 appearances in all competitions for the club before being transferred to Leicester City for a reported fee of around £5 million in July 2011.
Mills announced his retirement from professional football in 2020 at the age of 34.
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