Celtic pulled plug on Robbie Keane appointment after fan protests
Robbie Keane was a leading contender to become the next Celtic manager before fan protests saw the board pull the plug.
Martin O'Neill has since landed the permanent job after opting to stay on beyond what was initially expected to be an interim spell as the head coach.
Before that decision was made, however, Celtic supporters had spoken out against the possibility of hiring Keane due to his previous job at Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Keane didn't have a chance at landing the Celtic job due to board fears over fan reactions.
Instaed, they have opted to push forward with O'Neill, who was always the front-runner given the stellar job he had done since stepping in earlier this season.
Was Robbie Keane a contender for the Celtic job?
Former Aberdeen CEO Keith Wyness told Football Insider in April that Keane was a leading candidate for Celtic given his previous connections to the club.
The former Celtic striker has a growing reputation in management and is now available after he recently left his position with Hungarian side Ferencvaros.
However, major Hoops fan groups had set up petitions and put out statements opposing his appointment, and the board were keen to avoid backlash.
"Large sections of the fans have been clear with how they feel about Keane," Brown told Football Insider.
"From a Celtic point of view, that can have a big impact, because there have already been tensions between the board and the fans.
"They have been keen not to cause any problems, because they know the fingers will be pointed at them if anything goes wrong.
"So in that respect, the fans have a lot of sway, and it became clear they felt quite strongly about Keane's appointment given his previous connections.
"Celtic had second thoughts about him as a contender as a result of that, and they've now moved forward with appointing Martin O'Neill, who has done a fantastic job."
Why have Celtic decided to appoint Martin O'Neill?
After backing away from their pursuit of Keane, O'Neill is set to land the Celtic job on a one-year contract with the option of extending his stay by a further year.
The boss took over from Brendan Rodgers, and later Wilfried Nancy in two interim spells this season, and led his side to lift both the Scottish Cup and Premiership title.
Football Insider revealed in January that O'Neill is open to staying at Celtic, with the club determined to ensure they got their next appointment right.
Heading into next season with the 74-year-old at the helm once looked unlikely, but his success in a short-term role made it a no-brainer, with all parties now happy.
Ahead of what is set to be a big summer for Celtic, establishing some continuity could be crucial to their success in the immediate future.