What Nicky Hayen said about Celtic before and after his Club Brugge side played them
Celtic are intensifying their search to replace Brendan Rodgers after he resigned as the club’s manager amid ongoing disputes with the board.
Celtic‘s turbulent season took a shock turn on Monday (27 October) night as it was announced that Brendan Rodgers had left the club after handing in his resignation.
The Parkhead hierarchy have appointed Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney as interim managers while they seek to replace the man who delivered them four league titles in five years across his two spells in charge of the club.
Football Insider have revealed that Celtic have sounded out Ange Postecoglou for a potential return, while Maloney is on the Hoops’ radar to potentially take over on a full-time basis.
A number of other managers, both in and out-of-work, have been linked to the job, and the Celtic board are not only looking close to home as they weigh up some huge next steps.
Hayen has done well at Brugge and is admired by Celtic
Sky Sports (29 October) have reported that Celtic have been tracking Club Brugge manager Nicky Hayen to possibly take over at Parkhead soon, as well as Bodo/Glimt’s Kjetil Knutsen, but luring them away from their current jobs mid-season could prove to be a challenge.
Hayen became Brugge’s caretaker manager in March 2024 after former Celtic boss Ronny Deila had been sacked, and he was given the role permanently three months later after helping them win the Belgian Pro League.
The 45-year-old led the Belgian side to the Champions League round of 16 last season for only the second time since 1988, while they won the domestic cup and came second in the league behind Union Saint-Gilloise.
As well as success on the pitch, Hayen has been able to help Brugge financially by developing the likes of Ardon Jashari, Maxim De Cuyper, Chemsdine Talbi and current Brentford star Igor Thiago before selling them on for big fees.
What Hayen has said about Celtic in the past
Hayen’s Brugge side faced Celtic in the Champions League league stage last season as Daizen Maeda‘s leveller cancelled out a Cameron Carter-Vickers own-goal for a 1-1 draw in Glasgow.
The Belgian boss praised his opposite number Rodgers prior to the game, and spoke with excitement about the atmosphere in store for his players, saying: “You see that he’s a coach who really wants to play football, even from the back.
“Celtic are quite complete as a team but also as individual players. You see Brendan’s hand in it all. You could say that British football is more ‘kick and rush’ but here at Celtic you never see it. It’s always a clean build-up from the back and that’s exactly what a coach wants.
“I heard from people that the expectations here are really big and that the atmosphere will be crazy and that they are waiting for us. These are the games you want to play as a player and we just have to stay calm, embrace all these feelings and just perform on the pitch.“
Following the draw, he admitted that a fair result had been shared between the two sides and again praised the Hoops’ quality, saying: “Before the game, we said that Celtic is not just an easy team to put aside either. They proved that in the second half, although we might have been able to put just a little bit higher pressure.
“I didn’t want to take any risks by putting more pressure and giving away spaces that they do dive into. Then you might be left with zero points. So in the end I think that satisfaction should prevail.”
It is clear that Hayen understands the stature and importance of a club like Celtic, and he would surely be able to cope with lofty expectations if he was hired as their new boss considering Brugge’s own standing as one of the biggest clubs in Belgium.