Robbie Keane ‘under consideration’ as board plans revealed amid Celtic manager latest
Robbie Keane has been heavily linked with the manager’s job at Celtic in recent weeks.
The Bhoys are due to appoint their next permanent manager in the summer, with Martin O’Neill currently the man tasked with leading the push for the Scottish Premiership title until the end of the season.
Football Insider revealed at the start of January that O’Neill doesn’t want the Celtic job beyond the end of his current remit, and that has set speculation swirling as to who could take the reins ahead of next term.
Keane has been in the frame of late after some impressive work at Ferencvaros this season, with his team having already beaten Rangers in the Europa League already in 2025-26.
Celtic to face serious competition for Robbie Keane appointment
Keane has been linked with the Celtic job of late, with one major bookmaker currently pricing him at odds of 8/1 to take the reins at Parkhead ahead of next season.
Only Roberto Martinez, O’Neill and Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou are currently seen as more likely candidates than the former striker, who turned out for the Bhoys during a loan spell in 2010.
However, if Celtic are to try and move towards appointing the Irishman in the coming weeks, they will face serious competition from the Premier League.
Tottenham finally sacked their manager Thomas Frank on Wednesday morning, and Keane is already at the centre of discussions regarding the capital club’s next appointment.
The Spurs board are currently weighing up whether to make an immediate appointment or bring in an interim as part of a plan to try and land Mauricio Pochettino in the summer, and Keane is “under consideration” for a potential short-term role, according to The Telegraph.
Celtic’s managerial search is likely to be more of a long-term decision than Tottenham’s looks set to be, but if Keane is ultimately appointed in North London, then it will be one less candidate for the Glasgow giants to explore.
What has Keane said about a return to Parkhead?
Keane’s emergence as a contender for the Tottenham job could certainly be viewed as a big surprise, given his relative inexperience in the world of management.
The 45-year-old has only managed Ferencvaros and Maccabi Tel Aviv so far since the end of his playing career, and he has already distanced himself from the immediate possibility of managing Celtic.
Keane was linked with the top job at Celtic Park prior to the appointment of Wilfried Nancy back in December, and responded with a cryptic message of “never say never” when asked about the links.
However, he then went on to stress that he is “very happy” at Ferencvaros, which seemingly put distance between himself and a potential return to Celtic on that occasion at least.
It remains to be seen whether things could be different this time around, but the lure of the Premier League will likely tempt him more than the chance to manage at Celtic.