Celtic have made some – albeit slow – progress towards filling their managerial vacancy this week. But it’s not completely straightforward.
While they have held constructive talks with Robbie Keane, the Martin O’Neill question still needs to be resolved.
The club legend came in twice last season to save the Hoops and delivered a double, winning the league in the most dramatic circumstances Scottish football has ever seen.
If O’Neill wants to remain as manager – and it’s a big if – then the club are open to discussing a possible short-term deal. But the terms and conditions would have to suit both parties.
In the event he takes the job for a year, it could allow Celtic the opportunity to have a safe pair of hands in control of the football side, while they go about sorting things behind the scenes. The club still need to appoint a permanent chairman, head of football, head of recruitment and many other staff jobs.
Should he decide he does not have the appetite for a full campaign, then Celtic would still like him to stay in some capacity – possibly in the football operations side, or a consultancy and advisory role.
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Martin O’Neill will meet Celtic’s major shareholder Dermot Desmond to discuss his future after guiding them to a league and Scottish Cup double
So, does O’Neill – at 74 years of age – have the appetite to do a full season as manager of Celtic? It’s a big job to take on at the best of times, but this summer is likely to include a major squad rebuild, plus the Champions League play-off so early in the season.
But that remains the question that needs to be answered before principal shareholder Dermot Desmond can move on. The fact that it has taken so long could suggest that O’Neill himself isn’t completely sure about what he wants to do. He hasn’t ruled himself out, but he also hasn’t made his stance clear that he is keen to do it.
What if O’Neill rules himself out?
If O’Neill does rule himself out or Celtic move on, then Keane is the clear frontrunner at this stage.
Celtic have spoken to Robbie Keane (right) about replacing Martin O’Neill as head coach
He has already picked his backroom team in Stephen Glass, Scott Brown and Jonny Hayes, if he were to be given the job.
Keane resigned from his role at Ferencvaros last month, after missing out on retaining the Hungarian league title. He did win the domestic cup competition last season, though.
He won the league in Hungary in his first season, following a successful double-winning spell in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2024/25.
While Keane was loved as a player for Celtic, his decision to take that job in Israel – at the height of the conflict in the Middle East – has polarised opinion among the Hoops support.
Keane defended his choice to see out the season with Maccabi Tel Aviv, stating he “had a duty to his team” and said it would’ve been unfair to his staff, who had moved to Israel with him. He stepped down from the job after winning the league in June 2024.
Desmond is a big fan of Keane and was instrumental in bringing him to Celtic as a player. Keane, 45, has built up a decent reputation in football management early in his career, winning league titles and trophies in two countries. He was on Tottenham Hotspur’s three-man shortlist to replace Thomas Frank earlier this year.
Who else is being considered?
Craig Bellamy says he is committed to the Wales national team
Another manager still in the frame, for now, is Craig Bellamy. Celtic have admired his work as head coach of Wales for some time now.
He was seriously considered in October last year when Brendan Rodgers resigned, but he wanted to lead Wales into the World Cup play-offs.
At a press conference on Monday, Bellamy reiterated his commitment to Wales and is preparing to lead them to Euro 2028 despite interest from several clubs, including Burnley.
But Sky Sports News understands that Celtic are still keen to speak to him to see if he is completely ruling himself out, or if he’d like to be considered for the role.
Roberto Martinez is another name who has been linked with the job, and the Portugal boss has to be seen as more of an outsider due to this summer’s World Cup.
Celtic would ideally like to have a manager in time for pre-season, which may not be possible with Martinez.
