(Credit: Manh Tung, Breaking Media)

Ciaran Morrison

Tue 28 April 2026 18:15, UK

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Celtic’s hierarchy could ease fan unrest at the club if they were to pull out all the stops to hire Roberto Martinez as their next manager.

That’s the view of former Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking to Football Insider, who believes the Celtic fans will demand the club to hire a big name this summer.

The Celtic board have faced multiple protests regarding their ownership of the club throughout the season, with the fanbase unhappy at a lack of spending in the transfer market.

Dissatisfaction only intensified following the disastrous managerial reign of Wilfried Nancy, with Celtic now in a three-way fight to retain their Scottish Premiership title.

Martinez has been linked with the manager’s job at Celtic when interim boss Martin O’Neill steps down at the end of the season, with the 52-year-old’s contract with Portugal set to expire after the World Cup.

Roberto Martinez would provide ‘hope’ to Celtic

Aberdeen’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Pittodrie between 2000 and 2004, had lengthy spells as the chief of Everton and Aston Villa and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – would back Martinez to succeed at Celtic.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks hiring Martinez would get the Celtic board “off the hook” with the fanbase.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I know Roberto and I have a good fondness for him.

“He would be a good operator for Celtic. He may actually be a good solution because it gets Dermot Desmond and the board off the hook. It’s showing some actual hope and taking the club forward, appointing a bigger name than Wilfried Nancy, who was, in the kindest way, perhaps not the biggest name.

“Martinez is proven, he’s handled Premier League clubs. Great stories at Wigan, did well at Everton and Belgium. Perhaps not fulfilling their potential, but that’s more to do, I think, with the players.

“He is well respected in the game, well liked in the game, and if Celtic were to get him they’d have to push the boat out, but the fans would demand that.”

Shaun Maloney could prove key in managerial search

Martinez has previously worked with Celtic’s assistant manager Shaun Maloney, and that relationship could have an effect on whether the Spaniard moves to Glasgow.

Whilst Martinez may bring his own backroom staff to the club, sources have told Football Insider that Maloney wants to become director of football at Celtic at the end of the season.

Celtic currently do not have a director of football, with Paul Tisdale previously overseeing recruitment before his departure in January.

Any move upstairs would see Maloney have a say in who becomes Celtic’s next manager, with Jens Berthel Askou and Robbie Keane also on the shortlist.