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Celtic lost manager Ange Postecoglou to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur recently, but they are closing in on a potential replacement, and it is a very familiar name to the club. The Scottish Premiership side just won a domestic treble, and their next boss could be someone who has achieved this already with The Bhoys.
The Sun is reporting that Celtic have indeed offered Brendan Rodgers the chance to return to the club. Discussions were held at his holiday home in Spain last weekend, and the resolution of those talks is that the job is Rodgers’, should he want it.
This would be seen as a real coup for Celtic to lure him back to the club, especially given he would have likely Premier League suitors at some point in the future. He has been out of work since departing Leicester City, who went on to be relegated to the Championship, in April. Although he has already managed the club before, the chance of a return may be too good to resist.
Rodgers grew up supporting Celtic, and he went on to be one of the most successful managers in the history of the football club. In total, they won seven trophies in his time at Celtic Park, but his departure to Leicester did leave a bitter taste in the mouth at the time with many north of the border. He departed mid-season, and some fans haven’t forgiven him for this.
Nevertheless, noises coming out of the club are that they are confident he will indeed make an unexpected comeback. He would inherit a squad that is at the top of its game, and also the opportunity of managing in the UEFA Champions League is always an attractive option that Celtic can regularly offer to any prosperous manager.
Rodgers was expected to have a break from management after his time at Leicester ended in disappointing fashion. With Postecoglou something of a surprise appointment at Premier League side Tottenham, the doors have opened for the ex-Liverpool boss to make a quicker than expected return to the dugout, and to one he is very familiar with.
Many names have been linked with the Celtic vacancy since the Aussie departed for North London recently. There had been some strong vibes around the possibility of Manchester City coach Enzo Maresca making the move to Scotland. Daniel Farke, who is now out of work, was also mentioned. Even David Moyes was briefly touted, prior to winning the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Will Rodgers be the next Celtic manager?
The expectation is that Rodgers will indeed make something of a shock trip back to Celtic as manager. He may have some supporters to win over initially, but if he can get the team playing the brand of football from his previous spell in charge then fans will soon take to him again. Postecoglou has left the squad in great shape, so maybe limited transfer activity is required.
The fact that other clubs had sounded out Rodgers’ services since leaving his last job suggests he has been waiting for the right opportunity. In the coming days, we could get confirmation that he indeed back as Celtic manager.
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