BRENDAN Rodgers predicts Neil Lennon will be a Premier League manager soon – with or without Wanderers.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup clash at Anfield the Liverpool boss said Lennon’s CV at Celtic should have been enough to earn him a job in the top flight.

But after his excellent start at the Macron Stadium, the Northern Irishman predicts it will not be long before the top flight comes calling for him.

“Neil Lennon has done an outstanding job at Bolton, I was very surprised he didn't get a Premier League job,” he said.

“People don't realise how difficult that Celtic job is. It's one of the most difficult jobs in the world. The pressure is on every single game to win.

“He did outstanding to get them into the Champions League and when he left, he probably felt he'd taken them as far as he could.

“Neil has made Bolton difficult to beat and got them moving up the table. It's a difficult ask but it wouldn't surprise me if they got into the play-offs.

“In the very near future, Neil will be in the Premier League either with or without Bolton.”

Meanwhile, Rodgers believes his Liverpool side can challenge for the title again next season after showing signs in recent months that his much-changed squad is starting to adjust to how he wants them to play.

“I knew we had brought in talents and some would settle sooner than others,” he said.

“But once they found the rhythm here and adapted to the way we worked, we'd have a positive future with them.

“Over the last six or seven weeks they have settled.

“The beauty of our squad is we have so many players who have so much development. That's the excitement of it.

“Players are young and still learning at this level – Can, Coutinho, Sterling, Moreno, Manquillo, then there's older players who can still develop like Lallana.

“We just need time to evolve and work together.

“Come the summer that integration will be complete, then we can go on and challenge for the title again.”

But Rodgers fired a warning to Wanderers, insisting the cup competitions are now a major priority.

“This season has been about getting into the top four, minimising the impact of so many new signings, giving them the time to develop, and then targeting a trophy in the cup competitions.

“That's very much in our focus now.”