The Swansea City manager will experience his first South Wales derby on Sunday lunchtime at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Leading his side into the game in 3rd place, Rodgers declared the game ‘his kind of game’ and acknowledges supporters’ feelings about the game
“This is my type of game,” Rodgers told the Western Mail
“You can’t deny these games are the same because they’re not, with all the emotion.
“I never played in any derbies, and, when I was in charge at Watford and Reading, we never had any because our rivals were in different divisions.
“No doubt that’s why I’ve got the excitement I have for this one.
“My uncle lived here when Swansea were moving up through the divisions, I was back in Ireland so I had a feel for the club.
“I was listening to stories about John Toshack as a boy back in Ireland and that’s when Swansea first came to light for me.
“It’s quite a long way to here, a fair old hike, so from the outside Swansea is a little place tucked away.
“I’m not sure Sky have even been here this season, Wales for them must stop at Cardiff.
“So until you come here you don’t understand this is a big club.
“The first day I arrived at Swansea the number of press was incredible.
“You are going to one of two clubs representing a nation and as you go along you get a feel from the supporters.
“I’ve moved here, thrown myself into life here and then you get the feeling from people about their passion for the club.
“When this club progresses, and there’s no doubt it will get to the Premier League, when it does you’ll really see the benefits of this wonderful place.
“Every derby is always special because of the history.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s Reading and Oxford, Celtic or Rangers or the Milan derby.
“They are all big games and it’s the supporters that make them. In this part of the world there’s a real passion for football, a real inherent love of the game, so I don’t need to be told what it means.
“For Cardiff and Swansea supporters this is the biggest derby in the world.
“I do remind the players they represent the supporters that are there paying their money to watch them, and how fortunate we are – but they already know that.
“It’s a game with the heart and the passion where we’re representing the supporters, but it’s just as important we keep our head and keep control with the way we play.
“We both are good teams with great talents, but I’m also looking at the longer term.
“Great individuals will win you games, but it’s the best teams that will win you championships.
“It’s a team ethic that we have here and if we move away from that in any game that will be our downfall.”
