Ex-Scotland attacker now favourite to be next Celtic manager amid Wilfried Nancy sack latest
Wilfried Nancy appears to be on the verge of the sack at Celtic after a terrible start to life at the Old Firm club.
The 3-1 defeat to Rangers on Saturday now means that the Frenchman has lost six of his eight games in charge with the Hoops now six points behind Hearts at the summit.
Celtic fans have now turned on Nancy, with many demanding that the manager be sacked before their entire season collapses.
Martin O’Neill had been the favourite to take over at Celtic Park if Nancy were given the boot after a successful interim spell before the Frenchman’s appointment.
However, Shaun Maloney has now been installed as the new favourite in a surprising twist.
Full-time.#CELRAN | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/cyeRJGU2wU
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) January 3, 2026
Shaun Maloney 7/4 to become next Celtic manager
Maloney joined Celtic in the summer, becoming their player pathway manager.
The 42-year-old has previously had a tough start to his managerial career, as he was quickly given the boot at Hibernian before later being sacked by Wigan in March 2025.
Nevertheless, the ex-Celtic star has overseen a decent start at the Old Firm side since his return and was the interim assistant manager to O’Neill earlier this campaign.
Now, with Nancy seemingly on the brink of losing his job at Celtic Park, the bookies are tipping Maloney to take over.
One bookmaker has the former Celtic and Scotland attacking midfielder as low as 7/4 to become their next manager, with one bookmaker confirming that these odds have been slashed on 5 January.
Following Maloney, O’Neill is next on the list at 5/2, while Ange Postecoglou is the third-favourite at 5/1.
Maloney’s managerial career explained
Maloney’s first job was at Hibernian, which was short-lived.
The ex-Celtic star only lasted 19 matches, winning just six, despite overseeing victories in his first two games.
His spell at Wigan was more successful. Taking over in January 2023, he was unable to keep the Latics in the Championship after a points deduction.
“I took him to Aston Villa and he claimed he was homesick and came back to Celtic again. I’ve never really forgiven him for that!” 😂
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) October 28, 2025
Martin O’Neill on his relationship with Shaun Maloney and how he sees their dynamic working 🗣️🍀 pic.twitter.com/Avmf2UpRXO
However, his time in League One was impressive as he guided Wigan to League One survival comfortably, despite their eight-point deduction.
However, the manager failed to build on this success, and he was eventually sacked with the Latics just six points above the relegation zone late in the 2024-25 campaign.