Which individuals are the top prospects for the Glasgow Celtic head coach role?

In the wake of Brendan Rodgers' exit as Celtic manager on Monday, several candidates have surfaced as possible long-term successors for the Northern Irishman.

Celtic moved quickly to appoint former manager Martin O'Neill as interim boss—two decades after his initial stint in charge of the Glasgow club concluded.

Sunday's 3-1 loss at league leaders Hearts was Celtic's back-to-back Premiership defeat, leaving them eight points behind in the runner-up spot, while they have secured only two victories of their last seven matches in all competitions.

O'Neill, 73, has played down suggestions he could take up the job on a permanent basis—stating he is merely "serving as a caretaker."

Several potential appointees have reportedly started to emerge for the role, including some names with strong links to Parkhead.

Kieran McKenna

Ipswich Town head coach Kieran McKenna has arisen as an attractive candidate to guide Celtic back on a winning track.

However, insiders have indicated that Celtic could face a significant financial cost to secure the 39-year-old.

McKenna signed a new multi-year contract at Portman Road in the 2024 off-season, said to be worth around £5 million pounds per year.

Furthermore, it is understood he has a significant release clause that Celtic may be obliged to meet if they decide to formalise their interest.

It remains to be seen whether McKenna is prepared to leave English football to forge a new phase in Scotland—though sources have indicated the manager would be open to a move.

Ipswich are presently mid-table in the Championship following last season's relegation from the Premier League.

McKenna was one of the candidates for the Brentford head coach job in the off-season following Thomas Frank's exit, but the role was taken internally by Keith Andrews.

Ange Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou is back on the market after a short and disappointing spell at Nottingham Forest.

The Australian, who was sacked by Tottenham at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, lasted just 39 days at the club and became the shortest-serving permanent Premier League manager.

Postecoglou did not secure a victory in any of his eight matches in charge of Forest, with two ties and six losses across all competitions, but he is nonetheless highly regarded by the Celtic supporters and is available.

He spent a pair of campaigns in charge of Celtic between 2021 and 2023 and guided the club to a clean sweep of Scottish trophies in his following campaign.

Robbie Keane

Former striker Robbie Keane also qualifies as an additional candidate with strong links to Celtic and someone who completely understands the club.

Keane scored 16 goals in 19 appearances for the Scottish giants during a temporary stay in 2010 and was named Celtic's Best Performer for that season.

The Republic of Ireland international retired in November 2018 following a brief stint as player-manager at Indian Super League club ATK.

In 2023, Keane was named manager of Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv and guided them to a domestic double last year.

He assumed control at Hungarian team Ferencvaros in January and won the championship during his inaugural season.

It is understood Keane would be receptive to the Celtic vacancy.

Craig Bellamy

Craig Bellamy began his journey into management in 2024 with the Wales national side and is also understood to have admirers at Celtic.

The 46-year-old scored eight goals in 14 appearances for the Scottish side during a temporary stay in 2005.

Bellamy has overseen 14 games with Wales—winning six, drawing four, and suffering four defeats—and is said to be committed to the position.

Wales are in third place in their qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup and assured at least a play-off berth, so luring him away from the Welsh team could prove difficult.

The Interim Manager

Martin O'Neill spent five years in charge of Celtic between 2000 and 2005—winning seven honors, including three Premiership titles.

The Northern Irishman's most recent role in the managerial seat was with Nottingham Forest. He replaced Aitor Karanka in January 2019 with the club in ninth place in the Championship and was sacked at the conclusion of the season with Forest sitting in the identical position.

Speaking on Tuesday, O'Neill said, "I can't emphasise this enough, this is temporary, until a permanent manager is selected."

O'Neill's first assignment comes on Wednesday when Celtic host sixth-placed Falkirk at 19:45 GMT.