Celtic coach quietly promoted to new Lennoxtown role, no official announcement made
Former Celtic winger Jonny Hayes has been promoted to manager of their B team on an interim basis as Stephen McManus joins Martin O’Neill’s senior backroom staff.
O’Neill recently returned to Celtic as their manager until the end of the season in the wake of Wilfried Nancy‘s dismissal after he had been at the helm for just 33 days.
Nancy was sacked by the Hoops after leading his side to just two wins in his eight games in charge, with expectations raised after O’Neill’s successful spell as interim boss.
The 73-year-old initially stepped on a short-term basis following Brendan Rodgers’ exit in October, winning seven of his eight games in charge before Nancy’s ill-fated appointment.
His return to the Parkhead dugout has ensured another reshuffle of their backroom setup, with McManus’ promotion to the first-team allowing Hayes to step up as he continues his coaching journey.
Hayes will take charge of Celtic B while McManus assists O’Neill
Hayes played 68 times for Celtic from 2017 to 2020, winning the Scottish Premiership in each of his three seasons at Parkhead, in between two long-term spells at Aberdeen.
He returned to take up a coaching role in their academy after retiring in 2024, assisting fellow ex-Hoops star McManus with their B team.
McManus was a part of O’Neill’s senior coaching setup during his interim spell in charge, and he is set to return to a similar role from now until the end of the season following his return.
The Celtic Way have reported that, even though there has been no official confirmation from the club, it is understood that Hayes will take interim charge of the B team for the rest of 2025-26 while McManus steps up to the senior side once more.
Who could become Celtic manager once O’Neill leaves?
O’Neill has returned to save Celtic and deliver more success to Parkhead, but it does seem pretty likely that his association with the club will end for good once his short-term contract expires in the summer.
McManus could well return to B team duties ahead of next season with Hayes as his assistant, as a result, but Hoops fans will be hoping that the club can appoint a new first-team boss who offers more than Nancy did in his disastrous month-long spell in charge.
Ange Postecoglou is in the running to be Celtic’s next manager after O’Neill, at odds of 8/1 with one of the UK’s leading bookmakers, while current assistant Shaun Maloney is ahead of him at 5/1.
Motherwell’s Jens Berthel Askou is also believed to stand a chance of being appointed, alongside ex-Hoops striker Robbie Keane, with both placed at odds of 12/1.