adminWith Celtic boss Martin O’Neill’s future at the club uncertain, former Hoops striker Robbie Keane has been tipped as the ‘most likely candidate’ to succeed him, according to ex-Manchester United scout Mick Brown.
The club are already familiar with the Irishman’s credentials, as he and O’Neill were the leading contenders for the vacancy in June. However, O’Neill may have had an advantage before the interviews even began, having guided the club to the domestic double just a month earlier. But with the 74-year-old now facing an uncertain future after three consecutive defeats, his position is under increasing scrutiny.
Following their latest setback against Rangers in Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat, the Hoops boss revealed that he would use the extended international break to ‘reflect’ on his future. Former scout Brown, who remains well-connected within the game, believes that should O’Neill decide to leave, Keane could be ready to step into the role.
Keane becomes ‘most likely Hoops candidate’
He told Football Insider: “If Celtic are going to part ways with O’Neill then they will want a replacement in quickly. It’s not quite as easy as that, we saw that last season and that put them in a very difficult position, it’s the reason they’ve ended up with O’Neill staying for another season. But when you look at the options available to them, it’s safe to say Robbie Keane is the most likely candidate because they’ve already interviewed him.
“They’ll know what he’s about, what his ideas for the squad are, his style of play, how he works on the training ground, all of that sort of thing. So it would minimise the amount of time they have to spend looking for somebody, because all of that information from his last interview will still be available to them. When you’re looking at all of the options, he probably is the one that makes the most sense, unless they think there’s somebody else who could be persuaded.”
The former striker made 19 appearances for the Hoops during the 2009/10 season while on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. Since retiring from playing in 2018, he has managed Indian club ATK, Israeli side Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Hungarian giants Ferencvaros, who also got the better of Celtic in the Europa League last week.
O’Neill plans to ‘reflect’ after three defeats
Celtic’s other defeat during the past 10 days also came against their fierce rivals, with Rangers claiming a convincing 3-0 victory at Ibrox. As pressure mounts on the experienced manager, O’Neill now intends to spend the next three weeks considering his future and deciding what comes next.
After last week’s league loss to their rivals, he said: “I think there’s every reason to ask, you know, can you turn this round? Can you change the whole thing?
“We are, as I said, two points clear, so I have to kind of look at the bigger picture at this minute. But I knew that we were in a big, big fight anyway, with both ourselves, Rangers, and Hearts again, who are far from out of anything. It’s a long season ahead. It’s not the first time I’ve been questioned about my managerial time. So, yeah, I’ll have a look at it. I will reflect and see.”
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