Credit: Imago

Evan Lloyd

Fri 22 May 2026 9:53, UK

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Robbie Keane now leads the bookies’ race to be the next Celtic manager after Jens Berthel Askou was named manager of Toulouse.

It was announced that the Motherwell manager had left to take over the Ligue 1 club this week, just a year after he arrived in Scotland.

Askou had a revolutionary impact on the Steelmen, earning them European football and attracting interest from the likes of Celtic.

However, decision-makers at Parkhead will now have to move on to other candidates as they look to replace Scottish Premiership-winning interim boss Martin O’Neill.

Celtic’s next manager will have big shoes to fill when replacing the Northern Irishman, who returned to the club when Wilfried Nancy’s horror month in charge came to an end in January.

Robbie Keane leads Celtic race

Former Aberdeen chief exclusively told Football Insider last month that Keane’s appointment could bring the Celtic fans back onside, with the former striker having been a popular figure at Parkhead.

The 45-year-old spent the second half of the 2009-10 season with the Hoops, scoring 16 goals in just 19 appearances.

But a move to bring the Ireland international back again in the summer did not materialise, with Keane eventually going to West Ham in the following January.

The former striker could finally get his chance to make his return to Celtic this summer, if a deal to bring him back can be agreed.

Keane narrowly missed out on leading Ferencvaros to consecutive Hungarian league titles last week, with his side missing out by just one point despite winning nine of their last 11 games.

The Irishman’s side did win the Hungarian Cup, however, defeating Zalaegerszeg 1-0 in the final earlier this month.

One major bookmaker has backed Keane to call it a day in Hungary now, and be named the next Celtic manager as the 2/1 favourite.

Who are the other candidates for the Celtic job?

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has been linked to the Celtic job for some time now, and he could be a candidate upon his completion of this summer’s World Cup.

Craig Bellamy and Kjetil Knutsen are also among the favourites, while the likes of Thomas Frank and Oliver Glasner are more loosely linked.

But Celtic decision-makers will not be in any rush to make a forced appointment, considering how poorly Nancy’s tenure was.

The leading contender may well not even be known to the public yet, with the decision set to be a crucial one for the Hoops.