Celtic have confirmed they have begun searching for a potential replacement for Brendan Rodgers in the dugout. The former Liverpool manager made the bombshell on Monday night as he resigned from his position as head coach following the 3-1 defeat at Hearts.
The Jambos beat Celtic at Tynecastle Park on Sunday afternoon, extending their lead over the reigning Scottish Premiership champions to eight points. Rodgers have lost each of their last three matches in all competitions and have won just one of their last seven matches.
Celtic confirmed in an official statement that they have accepted the 52-year-old’s resignation and have begun a search for a new manager. Meanwhile, Martin O’Neill and Sean Maloney will take the reins as the Scottish giants prepare to take on Falkirk on Wednesday night.
Dermot Desmond, Celtic’s majority shareholder, issued an explosive statement after Rodgers quit the club, accusing him of being “divisive” and “selfish”. Here, Express Sport looks at who Celtic could potentially appoint as their new head coach following Rodgers’ resignation…
Ange Postecoglou
According to bookmaker Coral, Postecoglou has been floated as a possible replacement for Rodgers. The former Nottingham Forest manager, who was sacked by Evangelos Marinakis earlier this month, enjoyed a fine stint at Parkhead before joining Tottenham Hotspur.
Postecoglou won a domestic double on his debut for Scotland, winning the Scottish Premiership and Scottish League Cup. The following season he led Celtic to the treble and added the Scottish Cup to his cabinet. Although his stock has dropped some, his relationship with Celtic fans and the emotional appeal of a return will no doubt be appealing to both parties.
ole gunnar solskjaer
Earlier this month, Solskjær resumed his role as UEFA’s match analyst. The former Manchester United manager first took up the job in January 2023, just over a year after being sacked at Old Trafford, before leaving in December 2024 to take charge at Besiktas.
Solskjaer has only been in charge of the Turkish giants for 29 games, winning 15 and drawing five, while losing the remaining nine. The Norwegian enjoyed a promising unbeaten run in the Besiktas dugout for a few games, but was released after failing to make the Conference League qualification play-offs. Will Setic beckon next?
Ketil Knudsen
Knudsen has done a great job with Bodø/Glimt, but it may be difficult to get him an award from the Norwegian giants. The 57-year-old was appointed assistant manager in January 2017 and became head coach a year later.
Since then, he has remained in the dugout, winning the Eliteserien four times in seven years. With Knudsen’s contract expiring at the end of the year, Bodo/Glimt ended Rosenberg’s year-on-year dominance and became Norway’s top team.
eric ten hag
Ten Hag is considered an outsider for the Celtic job as of December 1, according to bookmaker Coral. The 55-year-old got off to a great start at Manchester United, winning the Carabao Cup in his debut season.
The following season, Ten Hag won the FA Cup, defeating Manchester City in the final at Wembley Stadium. Although the Dutchman won some silverware, his teams often struggled to make a good impression in the Premier League.
Ten Hag immediately returned to the management team, replacing Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen. However, he did not last long and was in charge of only three games. His tactics, signings and ultimately poor performance were questionable. While he is campaigning, an appointment seems unlikely.
robbie keene
Former Celtic striker Keane has been named as a candidate, with some bookmakers putting him as second choice after Postecoglou.
Keane is currently the manager of Hungarian team Ferencváros, and previously excelled with Maccabi Tel Aviv, winning the league title and the 2024 TOTO Cup double.
The former Ireland international, who has been a Celtic fan since boyhood and had a short loan spell at the club in 2010, has been in his current job for less than a year but could be tempted to return to Parkhead.
