Celtic are planning to approach former Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest manager Ange Postecoglou to replace Brendan Rodgers, sources have told TEAMtalk, with Bhoys legend Scott Brown also being monitored.
Brendan Rodgers quit Celtic after resigning late on Sunday night, ending his second spell at the club amid a storm of boardroom tension and fan unrest.
The 52-year-old’s departure follows a dismal run that has left the defending Scottish Premiership champions reeling.
Celtic find themselves eight points behind leaders Hearts in second place in the Scottish Premiership table at the moment after losing 3-1 to them last weekend.
It proved to be the final straw for Rodgers’ departure from Celtic.
Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond had publicly branded Rodgers “divisive”, accusing him of misrepresenting the club’s backing.
Rodgers, who won two trebles in his first stint (2016-19) and a league title last term, leaves with immediate effect.
In a brief statement, the former Liverpool and Leicester City manager thanked the Celtic fans but said the time was right to step away. Insiders say the decision was mutual, though the timing stunned many.
Taking temporary charge of Celtic is Martin O’Neill, the 73-year-old icon who delivered Celtic’s last domestic invincible season in 2000-01.
The Northern Irishman, part of Celtic’s hall-of-fame, will be assisted by former midfielder Shaun Maloney, currently a coach within the academy setup. Their first task: Wednesday’s Premiership game at home to Falkirk.
Attention now turns to the permanent role. Club sources confirm they expect to make an official approach for Ange Postecoglou within days.
The Australian, sacked by Nottingham Forest just two weeks ago after a short, turbulent spell, is without a managerial role at the moment.
The 60-year-old’s transformative tenure at Celtic between 2021 and 2023 – winning the league and two cups with swashbuckling football – makes him the overwhelming fans’ choice.
“Ange knows the club, the league, and how to win here,” one Parkhead insider has told TEAMtalk.
Social media is ablaze with #BringBackAnge campaigns, but no deal is in place yet, and despite his love for the club, there may be other offers to contend with.
Other candidates – including Kjetil Knutsen and 40-year-old Celtic legend Scott Brown – are being monitored, but Postecoglou’s emotional pull and proven success make him the priority.
Celtic’s board, under pressure to act decisively, see his return as the quickest route to stability and silverware.
For O’Neill and Maloney, getting the fans back on side and the team winning is key.
For Celtic, the Postecoglou pursuit is already underway. The Hoops’ next chapter may be written by a familiar face.
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Chris Sutton backs Ange Postecoglou for Celtic role
Outspoken pundit and former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has given his backing to Postecoglou for the managerial role at the defending Scottish champions.
Sutton told Sky Sports: “I think Ange Postecoglou would be a really smart appointment. He was loved the first time round.
“His brand of football went down well in Glasgow. He’s out of work.
“I think that would be a pretty obvious choice, a good choice and bring a lot of positivity back to Celtic, which they need right now.”
Regarding O’Neill being placed in charge of Celtic for now, Sutton said: “I understand the appointment of Martin O’Neill because he’s a very popular manager. He was my manager when I first went up to Celtic, and he is loved by the supporters.
“Had the club handed the role to just Shaun Maloney, I think a lot of the supporters would have been unhappy about that. They’ve now got a figurehead and a front piece.
“I suppose the biggest question is, who’s going to be the next permanent Celtic manager? Who are they going to go for next?
“It’s not going to be an easy situation because the squad is decimated with injuries to key players and there’s not the strength and depth. The team will come under a fair bit of pressure [between now and January].
“There’s a League Cup semi-final against Rangers, which is absolutely massive. All those games coming up are massive.
“In the short term, Martin O’Neill doesn’t have an easy task on his hands with what he’s taking over.
“I think that the support will be happy that Martin has come back because he was loved in his time as manager there.
“He turned the tables and his era was the beginning of Celtic’s dominance in Scottish football.
“He will go in and try and do what he did first time round. Try and galvanise the club, try to bring the support and everybody, the staff at the club and hierarchy all pulling in the same direction.”