Rodgers explains exit of Leicester stalwart Rennie
Rennie had served under more than 20 managers during two decades at Leicester
Written by Simon Austin — September 13, 2020
LEICESTER CITY manager Brendan Rodgers has spoken for the first time about the sacking of Head Physio Dave Rennie after more than 20 years, which was first revealed by TGG last month.
Ahead of the Foxes’ season opener against West Brom, which they won 3-0, Rodgers told The Athletic’s Rob Tanner: “He (Rennie) did great work.
“With what's going on with Covid and the move to the new training ground we were the only club that didn’t have a full-time doctor. Our idea was to revamp the medical team and bring in a Head of Medicine."
Leicester do indeed only have a part-time doctor, Ian Patchett, who also works as a GP, but why hiring a full-time doctor would preclude Rennie from staying with the club is not clear.
Rennie had worked for Leicester since 1999 and served under more than 20 managers in three different divisions.
When Rodgers was on the verge of joining the club in February 2019, it was Rennie who gave him a tour of their King Power Stadium. He was also a prominent member of Claudio Ranieri’s backroom staff when the Foxes won the Premier League title in 2015/16.
Speaking to the TGG Podcast last October, Leicester’s Head of Performance Innovation, Paul Balsom, praised Rodgers for sticking with the existing members of the backroom staff, including Rennie.
“What has happened is really interesting, with Brendan bringing in four new members of staff,” Balsom said. “It has worked so well, because he has brought in a competent staff and they have shown total respect for the continuity that was already at the club.”
However, Rodgers and his long-standing Head of Performance, Glen Driscoll, decided that they needed a revamp of the club’s medical department and Rennie was a casualty.
Driscoll has worked with Rodgers since the early 2000s, when the duo were with Reading's Academy. When he first arrived at Leicester, Driscoll said: “I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with great departments at very big clubs, but the level of Dave Rennie and (Head of Fitness) Matt Reeves and the team is very high.”
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