Celtic confirm return of Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney as management search begins | OneFootball

Celtic have appointed Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney as the interim management team after Brendan Rodgers’ shock exit. The Irishman tendered his resignation on Monday in the wake of the defeat against Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday, which left Celtic eight points behind the Jambos after nine games.

Celtic have confirmed that the recruitment process for a new permanent manager is underway but that the first team will be looked after by O’Neill and former Hibs and Wigan manager Shaun Maloney.

Celtic face Falkirk at Celtic Park on Wednesday before facing Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup Semi Final at Hampden on Sunday. The two games are imperative towards Celtic’s season and the timing of the decision has raised some eyebrows that Rodgers was perhaps given a decision to make whether he wanted to jump or be pushed.

O’Neill last managed Celtic twenty years ago, overseeing a period of success before leaving in 2005. MON last managed in 2019 with a short spell at Nottingham Forest. There is another manager that did not fare particularly well with Evangelos Marinakis who is available, Ange Postecoglou. The Australian left Celtic two years ago and was replaced with Rodgers but since then he has won the Europa League, left Spurs and been sacked by Forest.

Ange will be one of the frontrunners for the job along with Bodo-Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen and Marco Rose. There is still a lot to be won this season and the club have to act swiftly to ensure that they have the right man in the building to get the team back to winning ways.