Brendan Rodgers compares Newcastle United to Celtic as pre-season announcement is made

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Newcastle United are heading north to play against Celtic in pre-season.

It has been announced that Newcastle United will face the Scottish champions on July 19th at Celtic Park, as Eddie Howe’s side prepare for the 2025/26 Premier League season.

Howe is excited to take on Celtic, and it will be the Magpies’ first game at Parkhead since a friendly in 2004. On that day, Martin O’Neill’s side beat Sir Bobby Robson’s Magpies.

This time it will be Eddie Howe against Brendan Rodgers, as two managers who have lifted silverware this season prepare to battle it out.

Brendan Rodgers reacts to Celtic vs Newcastle United announcement

The Carabao Cup winners will be in Glasgow on July 19th, where they will face a double-winning Celtic side. They could even be treble winners, with Rodgers’ side taking on Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final later this month.

Both Newcastle and Celtic have enjoyed positive seasons, which is why Rodgers is excited to welcome Howe’s team to Parkhead.

“I’m really looking forward to this match in the summer and I think it will be a great occasion for both sets of players and supporters, as well as being really important in our build up to next year,” he told Celtic’s official website.

“Eddie and his team, like ourselves, have enjoyed a great season and I know we will face a tough test from a top Premier League side.

“As Champions, we will aim to enjoy a good pre-season to get us ready for the challenges of next year at home and abroad, and this really exciting match will provide great preparation for us.”

Newcastle United’s other pre-season plans

Newcastle’s pre-season plans are taking shape. The trip to Celtic is the second pre-season friendly that the club have announced.

The Magpies will also be playing against Arsenal this summer, with the Premier League rivals set to face each other in Singapore on July 27th. That is part of Singapore’s Festival of Football.

It is also expected that Newcastle will play in South Korea during pre-season, as they travel to Asia for the second year in a row.

Newcastle went to Japan in 2024, as the club aim to boost their profile on the other side of the world.

However, there will be no post-season tour for Newcastle United.

At the end of the 2023/24 season, the Magpies competed in two friendlies in Australia. Eddie Howe’s side took on Tottenham Hotspur and the A-League All Stars XI, with a team of youngsters losing 8-0 to the latter.

The decision to play in these games after a gruelling campaign was highly controversial, and there will be no repeat in 2025.