Title: The Silent Depths
It was a warm evening in Glasgow, the air thick with the remnants of a rare Scottish summer. Brendan Rodgers sat in his garden, sipping a cup of tea, reflecting on Celtic’s upcoming match. His mind drifted to his son, Anton, who had flown in that morning to spend time with him. Football had been their bond, but lately, life had pulled them in different directions.
Anton had decided to stay at a hotel with a luxurious pool, a place he often retreated to when visiting. He had always loved swimming—said it calmed his mind. Around 9 PM, he sent his father a quick text: “Going for a swim. Talk later, Dad.”
Brendan smiled at the message but didn’t reply immediately. He figured he’d call Anton in an hour.
But the call never happened.
At 9:45 PM, a hotel staff member discovered something floating at the deep end of the pool. The water was unnervingly still. At first, they thought it was a towel, but as they stepped closer, their heart dropped—Anton’s motionless body lay beneath the surface, his dark hair fanned out like ink in the water.
Panic ensued. Paramedics were called. They tried everything—CPR, defibrillators, desperate shouts of his name—but Anton never responded. The silence of the pool had claimed him.
Brendan was in the middle of reviewing match footage when his phone rang. The voice on the other end was shaky, hesitant. The words came slow, yet they crashed into him like a freight train.
“We’re so sorry, Mr. Rodgers… It’s Anton. He’s… he’s gone.”
The cup of tea slipped from Brendan’s grasp, shattering into countless pieces. Just like his heart.
The next few days blurred together—press conferences canceled, tributes flooding in, fans leaving flowers outside Celtic Park. The club released a heartfelt statement, but no words could mend the gaping wound in Brendan’s soul.
He stood by the pool days later, staring into the silent depths, searching for answers. How could this have happened? Anton was young, healthy. Had he slipped? Hit his head? Or was it something deeper—something only the water knew?
The world kept moving, football carried on, but for Brendan, time stood still. The pool that once offered Anton peace had taken him away, leaving behind a fa
ther drowning in grief.
