Steve Clarke edges towards Celtic appointment as odds slashed in shock twist
Steve Clarke has emerged as one of the strong favourites to take charge of Celtic next summer.
The Glasgow giants find themselves in the thick of a three-horse title race in the Premiership, but are also working behind the scenes to try and identify potential candidates to lead the team in the long term.
Football Insider revealed on Tuesday that Ange Postecoglou is on Celtic’s list of targets, while Roberto Martinez and Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou have been heavily linked with the position.
Martin O’Neill’s current remit is to lead the team until the end of the season, when a permanent appointment will then be made, and Clarke’s name is now beginning to creep into the frame.
Steve Clarke sees odds slashed on Celtic appointment
Football Insider revealed last week that Celtic are willing to wait until after the World Cup to see if they can appoint Martinez, and they could be about to take a similar stance for Clarke.
The 62-year-old is set to lead Scotland in their first World Cup since 1998 this summer, in what will be the peak of his near-six year stint in charge of the national team so far.
The former West Brom boss is set to see his contract with the Scottish FA expire after the tournament, and he has previously suggested that he is 75 per cent sure that he will step away from the role when his deal reaches its conclusion, according to The Scottish Sun.
Clarke’s long-term future with the national team is uncertain, and that has coincided with him rising through the betting odds for Celtic’s next permanent manager.
His odds of taking the reins at Celtic Park have now been slashed to just 8/1 by one major bookmaker, with only Martinez and O’Neill seen as more likely candidates to be in charge come the first game of the 2026-27 campaign.
Clarke’s managerial record in the Premiership
Clarke has enjoyed an excellent stint as Scotland boss, to the point where his achievements have been so impressive that they have almost overshadowed those from his previous role.
The veteran manager led Kilmarnock between 2017 and 2019, which provided him with his only experience of managing in the Scottish top-flight.
Clarke took over with Killie bottom of the Premiership in 2017-18, and led them to a fifth-placed finish and their highest ever top-flight points total by the end of the campaign.
| League | Games | W | D | L | Win % |
| Premiership | 57 | 30 | 17 | 10 | 52.63% |
| Premiership top six split | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 40% |
| Total | 67 | 34 | 18 | 15 | 50.75% |
He then went one better the following season, as his side finished third in the league for the first time since 1966, and secured their first taste of European football since 2001 in the Europa League.
Clarke then left to join the national team, meaning that he has never added to his impressive Premiership record that began during his time at Rugby Park.
He oversaw 34 victories during his 67 games in charge of Kilmarnock, leaving him with a win percentage of 50 per cent in the Scottish top tier.
That record will surely be music to the ears of Celtic, given that he achieved such impressive results with a team who typically struggle in the lower reaches of the table.