Ex-Aston Villa striker increasingly likely to be new Celtic manager, he wants the job at Parkhead
Former Aston Villa players Robbie Keane and Shaun Maloney are among the front-runners for the Celtic manager’s job after Brendan Rodgers resigned from the role on Monday.
Martin O’Neill has returned to Celtic Park on an interim basis, winning his first game back in Glasgow against Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night.
The former Aston Villa manager doesn’t seem likely to stay at Celtic on a permanent basis, however, and a shortlist has been drawn up to find Rodgers‘ full-time successor.
According to The Telegraph, Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna and Ange Postecoglou are contenders to head to Parkhead.
It is understood that ex-Aston Villa striker Keane, who played on loan at Celtic in 2010, is also on the Scottish club’s shortlist.
Odds slashed on Robbie Keane taking Celtic job
After it was reported that Keane “would be interested in talking to Celtic”, odds were slashed on the former Republic of Ireland star heading to Glasgow’s East End.
The market on who’ll be appointed as Celtic’s next permanent manager opened earlier this week, with Ferencvaros manager Keane initially installed as an 8/1 outside bet.
However, the markets on Wednesday night show Keane’s odds being slashed as low as 3/1.
Keane, who scored three goals in six appearances on loan at Aston Villa from LA Galaxy in 2012, has managed ATK in India and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel in his managerial career to date. He’s currently in charge of Ferencvaros, taking over there in January 2025 and winning the Hungarian league title in his first season.
O’Neill signed Maloney at Aston Villa from Celtic in 2007. He spent two seasons in the West Midlands before returning to Glasgow.
His managerial career to date has seen him take charge at Hibernian and Wigan. He’s currently part of O’Neill’s interim coaching team following Rodgers’ exit on Monday.
McKenna looks like the leading candidate right now. However, it remains to be seen if he’ll leave Ipswich to join Celtic in a season where they could fail to win the Scottish Premiership title with Hearts clear at the top of the table.
What Martin O’Neill has recently said about Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Aston Villa didn’t have the best of starts to the 2025-26 Premier League season, failing to score in their first four games and failing to win in their first five.
Unai Emery‘s position as Villa manager never quite came under pressure despite the bad start, with O’Neill saying that Emery has “got plenty in the tank” to beat off any suggestion he’s not the right man at Villa Park.
The Villans have now won four games in a row in the Premier League, finding themselves eighth in the standings, level on points with reigning champions Liverpool.
Aston Villa’s next game is actually against Liverpool, with Emery’s men travelling to Anfield on Saturday.
Celtic, following their win over Falkirk on Wednesday, face Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup at Hampden Park on Sunday.
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