Darren Fletcher now in running to be next Celtic manager after Man United exit
Man United’s interim boss Darren Fletcher is in the running to become Celtic’s next permanent manager after Martin O’Neill.
O’Neill returned to Celtic last week for the remainder of the season after Wilfried Nancy’s dismissal following his turbulent month at the helm.
He was appointed as the Hoops’ interim boss in October following Brendan Rodgers’ exit, and led them to seven wins in his eight games in charge before Nancy’s arrival.
Celtic beat Dundee United 4-0 on Saturday to mark his third return to the club with a victory, but Football Insider have revealed that O’Neill has no plans to stay at Parkhead beyond the end of this campaign.
The club will likely need to appoint a permanent successor to Nancy in the summer, and Fletcher has emerged as a potential option amid his own interim spell at Man United.
Fletcher is joint-third favourite to be Celtic’s next permanent manager
Former Scotland international Fletcher was appointed as United’s interim boss last week after Ruben Amorim was sacked following disagreements behind the scenes.
He has overseen two games so far, with a 2-2 draw with Burnley in the Premier League followed by a 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Brighton on Sunday.
Fletcher has been touted to take over at Old Trafford for the rest of the campaign, but his old teammate, Michael Carrick, is emerging as the frontrunner to be United’s new interim boss on a full-time basis.
With Fletcher set to either return to United’s academy or potentially be part of Carrick’s backroom staff, one of the UK’s leading bookmakers has installed him as the joint-third favourite to be Celtic’s next permanent manager, at odds of 14/5.
Who else is in the running to be Celtic’s next permanent manager?
Roberto Martinez emerged as the favourite to be Celtic’s next boss recently, but his odds have now drifted, with numerous others in the running ahead of him as it stands.
O’Neill is the leading contender to be appointed on a permanent basis, at odds of 1/20, with Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy also near the top of the odds at 20/21, alongside Bodo/Glimt’s Kjetil Knutsen.
Several managers join Fletcher at odds of 14/5 to take over at Parkhead after O’Neill, with Enzo Maresca, Scott Brown, Frank Lampard, Craig Bellamy and John O’Shea all available at the same price.
O’Neill’s assistant, Shaun Maloney, is now 3/1 to succeed him in the summer, while ex-Hoops star Roy Keane is an outsider to take the job at odds of 28/1.