This morning Celtic confirmed the news we had all been waiting for – manager Ronny Deila will leave the club at the end of the season.
While that decision was obvious, the next call to be made by the Parkhead board is not so straight forward – who should replace the Norwegian in the dugout?
Deila was an experiment worth taking. The 40-year-old was a young, affordable manager, willing to cut costs and help to develop players.
Ultimately, although a handful of players did improve under his leadership, the experiment did not work and Celtic cannot afford to take such a gamble with the appointment this time.
A number of proven manager are currently available, with former Preston, Everton, Manchester United and Real Sociedad David Moyes the current bookies favourite.
Moyes started his career with Celtic and is not the only one with Parkhead connections to be linked to the job – former Hoops boss Neil Lennon as well as Parkhead icons Henrik Larsson and Paul Lambert are among those to have had their hats thrown into the ring.
Here’s a look at some of the front runners to replace Deila at Parkhead.
David Moyes
The Scot is the favourite with bookmakers to get the job – and is reportedly the board’s number one candidate. Now 52, he started his playing career at Celtic in 1980 but left for Cambridge three years later. However, it is as a manager he is best known, managing Preston before a nine-year stint at Everton, which was followed by an ill-fated 10-month reign at Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson retired. Out of work since November, when a stint as boss of Real Sociedad ended after 364 days.
Neil Lennon
The 44-year-old would have his supporters, having largely made a good impression in a four-year reign with the Hoops which ended less than two years ago. A former captain, he guided them to three Premier Leagues and two Scottish Cups, as well as successive appearances in the group stages of the Champions League. Available after an unsuccessful 17-month spell with struggling Bolton – and has admitted he would be interested in the job.
Roy Keane
Self-confessed Celtic fan Keane, 44, ended his playing career with the club in 2006 but turned down the chance to succeed Lennon as boss because he did not feel they wanted him enough. He then led Sunderland from the bottom of the Championship to the top but failed to make an impression with them in the Premier League, before an anticipated promotion challenge at Ipswich failed to materialise and he left after less than two years in the job. Currently assistant to former Hoops boss Martin O’Neill with the Republic of Ireland.
Henrik Larsson
The Celtic legend is currently manager of Helsingborg in his native Sweden where he has got off to a poor start to this season but he would undoubtedly be a popular appointment with the Parkhead faithful.
The 44-year-old was asked to replace Neil Lennon two years ago but turned the offer down as he felt he was not yet ready.
Paul Lambert
Currently managing Blackburn Rovers in the English Championship, Lambert has previously enjoyed success as manager of Wycombe Wanderers, Colchester United and Norwich City.
The former Celtic and Scotland captain won four league titles with the Hoops in his eight-year career at Parkhead from 1997.
Owen Coyle
Like Roy Keane and Henrik Larsson, Coyle has also previously held discussions with the Hoops board over the position – the former Falkirk, St Johnstone Burnley, Bolton and Wigan manager was offered the Celtic job before in 2009, but rejected in order to test himself in the English Premier League.
Currently managing Houston Dynamo in America.
Michael O’Neill
In February, Deila was unimpressed with rumours suggesting his replacement would be the 46-year-old former Brechin and Shamrock Rovers boss. O’Neill has impressed in leading Northern Ireland to their first European Championship – the first time in 30 years they have qualified for a major tournament – but that in itself could be an obstacle as his current focus is on Euro 2016, plus there are compensation issues with him currently serving a long contract with the Irish Football Association.
Malky McKay
The 44-year-old is another to speak positively about the job recently and, like Moyes, available – unlike fellow former Hoops favourites Alan Stubbs and Paul Hartley. The Scot led Cardiff to the Premier League in 2013 but was sacked after a dispute with club owner Vincent Tan. His next appointment, at Wigan, ended a little more than a year ago after five largely disappointing months.
