Brendan Rodgers reckons Steven Gerrard felt it was time for a "new challenge" after his title-winning success as Rangers last term.
Gerrard surprised Ibrox fans as he jumped at the chance to join Aston Villa in the middle of the season.
It led to fans on both sides of the Glasgow divide comparing the situation to Rodgers walking away from Celtic for Leicester City during a campaign.
The timing of both decisions left some members of their respective fan bases fuming, however Gerrard has found an ally in his former Liverpool boss.
Rodgers compared the move to Villa with his move to the former English Premier League winning side, claiming that after winning silverware he looked to move on.
Speaking ahead of Leicester's clash with Chelsea when asked about Gerrard's Rangers exit, he said: “Steven has felt the time to move on.
"It’s always a wrench when you leave, and I can only talk from my own experience at Celtic in terms of winning trophies.
"Then you look for the next challenge. He’s felt that.
"It’s a league he knows very well and he goes into a fantastic club that will have ambitions to chase European football. I’m sure he’ll do really well.”
