{"id":251412,"date":"2025-10-30T18:04:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T18:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/251412\/"},"modified":"2025-10-30T18:04:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T18:04:13","slug":"who-should-be-the-next-celtic-manager-our-writers-name-their-top-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/251412\/","title":{"rendered":"Who should be the next Celtic manager? Our writers name their top picks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dermot Desmond is on the hunt for the successor to Brendan Rodgers who stunned football by resigning on Monday night<\/p>\n

09:39, 30 Oct 2025Updated 10:03, 30 Oct 2025<\/p>\n

\"videoHeadline\"\/Next Celtic Manager – Latest odds <\/p>\n

The manhunt is on as Celtic attempt to appoint a successor to box office Brendan Rodgers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It’s an unenviable task but one Dermot Desmond<\/a> will be desperate to get right to ensure the silverware keeps coming to Celtic Park.<\/p>\n

A host of big names have already been linked with the job, many of whom have lifted trophies. From Ange Postecoglou<\/a> to Nicky Hayen and all manner of men in between, Celtic<\/a> remains an attractive proposition to managers.<\/p>\n

Here our Record Sport writers give their picks over who they would like to see ascend the Celtic throne.<\/p>\n

Keith Jackson<\/p>\n

Ange Postecoglou might be bruised and even more gruff and grumpy than he was before he left for the Premier League but he’d be the box office return. The straight talking Aussie is as entertaining in the media room as his team is on the pitch and would be an obvious first pick.<\/p>\n

\"AngeAnge Postecoglou enjoyed huge success with Celtic(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

But, given that he’s rolling it in on gardening leave from Nottingham Forest he’s going to take some persuading. Craig Bellamy represents<\/a> a very interesting alternative and fits the profile of a younger, hungry coach – and crucially one with a personality big enough to cope with the scale of the job.<\/p>\n

Gavin Berry<\/p>\n

Celtic need a manager who can give them what they really crave – success in Europe.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a black mark against the club and Kjetil Knutsen is someone who has proved he can do it.<\/p>\n

The mastermind behind Bodo\/Glimt\u2019s rise became the first manager in almost two decades to lead a Norwegian side into the Champions League group stage and then, remarkably, took them to the Europa League semi-finals last season.<\/p>\n

Bodo\/Glimt Manager Kjetil Knutsen(Image: SNS Group)<\/p>\n

His attacking philosophy would suit the fans and after seven years at the helm and at the age of 57 might just be ready for a new challenge.<\/p>\n

Scott Burns<\/p>\n

Celtic have to go for one that captures the imagination of the fans. It needs to be something they can buy into. I would go and try for Edin Terzic.<\/p>\n

(Image: Bernd Thissen\/picture-alliance\/dpa\/AP Images)<\/p>\n

The German is out of contract and available after leaving Borussia Dortmund. He plays exciting football, knows the British game and led Dortmund to a Champions League final while also lifting the German Cup.<\/p>\n

Ryan McDonald<\/p>\n

The man who succeeded Ronny Deila and transformed Club Brugge into Champions League giant-killers would be my top pick. Nicky Hayen has turned heads<\/a> in Belgium with his winning mentality and attractive brand of football, dismantling some of Europe\u2019s elite along the way.<\/p>\n

\"ClubClub Brugge boss Nicky Hayen <\/p>\n

Celtic need to think outside the box and with Hayen\u2019s record of making Brugge European contenders plus his sharp eye for talent in foreign markets – the 45-year-old deserves to be high on the shortlist. His name alone will send shivers down the spines of Rangers fans after that infamous 9-0 play-off mauling back in August.<\/p>\n

Graeme Young<\/p>\n

Belgian Nicky Hayen’s upwards trajectory has been as unexpected as it has been rapid. The 45-year-old has rightly earned acclaim for his stunning exploits with Brugge in continental competition as Russell Martin’s meek Rangers were mauled by a side operating on a different orbit.<\/p>\n

To put into context, he was managing Welsh minnows Haverfordwest County three-and-a-half years ago. Hayen is charismatic and fiercely ambitious. And, let’s be honest, who better to turn Celtic into the ‘new Brugge’ than the man who has led the template model of how clubs outwith Europe’s top five leagues should be agitating to close the gap on the world’s best?<\/p>\n

Craig Swan<\/p>\n

Kieran McKenna looks like an ideal candidate for the champions. At the age of 39, he has gained excellent experience in both coaching and management at a high level.<\/p>\n

(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

McKenna brings a big-club nous from his time at Manchester United and will surely be hungry for a crack at the Champions League.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dermot Desmond is on the hunt for the successor to Brendan Rodgers who stunned football by resigning on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":251413,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[563],"tags":[1531,64,63,18282,8089,110462,596,18414,9003,85],"class_list":["post-251412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-ange-postecoglou","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-celtic-fc","tag-craig-bellamy","tag-dermot-desmond","tag-football","tag-kieran-mckenna","tag-scottish-premiership","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251412","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=251412"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251412\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=251412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=251412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}