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Brendan Rodgers said he'd be taking time away from management following his sacking at Liverpool, and it appears he's set to follow through—just not in the way many would have assumed. The Aston Villa job looks set to be open soon, and a few others will surely follow, but Rodgers' name won't be one getting bandied about.
That's because Rodgers is set to Richard Keys at beIN Sports as a Premier League pundit for the remainder of the season. When asked on Twitter about the possibility Rodgers could be joining him at beIN, Keys confirmed the broadcaster was actively recruiting Rodgers, and multiple reports have since suggested Rodgers intends to take the offered job.
Rodgers' job would be studio-based, providing commentary before and after matches as well as during halftime, and it would be a shot-term appointment as the Northern Irishman intends to return to management. It looks like he won't be returning soon enough, though, to be in line for the Villa job, with Tim Sherwood reportedly on the verge of a sack.
It does, however, open up the possibility that early rumours linking Rodgers to the England job might just have some weight to them, as the English FA have yet to renew Roy Hodgson's contract which expires at the end of next summer's Euros. It has been suggested that anything less than a quarter-finals appearance will see them looking elsewhere.
If Hodgson's contract isn't extended, the Telegraph and others have suggested Rodgers would be near the top of the FA's list of potential replacements, and if Rodgers has been similarly informed it could explain his quick move to take on a pundit job that would keep him busy for the remainder of the current season.
