Brendan Rodgers has revealed he plans to sacrifice his rare Christmas Day off to spend his time with those less privileged.

The Celtic manager plans to travel back home after lending a hand at the Northern Ireland Hospice, where he is an ambassador.

“We have a lot of games this month and after Hamilton on Christmas Eve, I’ll travel back to Northern Ireland after the game.

“Then on Christmas Day I’ll spend time with the Northern Ireland Hospice as I’m an ambassador there,” the former Reds boss said.

He would spend Christmas morning with the families and the children of those who are terminally ill, after which he will proceed to have Christmas dinner with his family. He would then fly back first thing on Boxing Day morning.

Rodgers attributed his charitable nature to his upbringing and also from the fact he has been a victim of family tragedy with the lost of both his father and mother at tender ages.

Speaking in this week’s Celtic view, he was reported to have said that he experienced that when his mother and father were dying young and the care and support they received as a family meant everything to them.

He said: “I’ve been very privileged and lucky to be in a job I love but the people who work in these hospices are angels really, and to give them the support is something I was brought up with.”

He concluded that Christmas for lots of people was great, but that for many people there was a sad element to it. Rodgers promised to do everything in his capacity to put joy in the face of families in his role as the ambassador at Hospice.