FORMER READING FC captain Matt Mills criticised ex boss Brendan Rodgers and compared him to comedy character David Brent.
Speaking on the Under the Cosh football podcast back in 2022 reflecting on his short spell under Rodgers, Mills said: “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.
“Sold me a dream. He talks the best game ever. Great coach to be fair.
“One time we had a team meeting and he started speaking in Spanish. Not one Spanish player in the room. We were like ‘what is f****** going on here?’
Despite comparing him to the comedy character depicted by Ricky Gervais, Mills did laud Rodgers’ coaching ability while he admitted that his style did not suit Reading’s squad.
As a result, Rodgers’ time as Royals manager was short lived and he left the club with the team just one place above the relegation places in December 2009.
Mills continued: “He’s like David Brent out of the Office. I have to cut in and say that he’s a great coach. Just the way he wanted to play didn’t suit the players that we had at Reading.
“I signed and had a knee op over the summer. The surgeon said don’t train over the summer, you’ll be a bit unfit and overweight but your knee will be right for the rest.
“When I signed for Reading, I was overweight and needed to get fit. Start of the season I only played three games. I scored on my debut, we lost and then we drew. Then he brought in a lad from Celtic and I didn’t play again.
“One time I went to see him and said ‘gaffer we are bottom of the league and I can’t get a sniff of playing here.
“No word of a lie he’s turned around and gone, ‘Gucci belt’.
“He’s so here for the lifestyle. Strange guy.”
Despite his disappointment as Reading head coach, Rodgers went on to find success with Swansea City before becoming Liverpool manager.
The 51-year-old coach is now back at Celtic in his second spell in charge of the Scottish champions.
Meanwhile, Mills went on to become Reading captain and played a total of 75 games in all competitions for the club before he was sold to Leicester City for around £5million in July 2011.
Mills retired from professional football in 2020 at the age of 34.
