Celtic Target Record Scorer To Lead 2026-27 Charge: Should They Really Appoint Him? | OneFootball

Celtic find themselves on red alert this Friday morning, as Hungarian media outlets, most prominently m4sport.hu, confirm that Robbie Keane has resigned as Ferencvaros head coach after one and a half years with the Budapest club. The news is important, given that the Parkhead job has been linked with the 45-year-old’s name all season.

Celtic close in as Ireland’s record scorer leaves Hungary

Keane extended his contract with Ferencvaros back in December, having steered the club into the Europa League knockout stages, but the domestic season ultimately fell flat. Ferencvaros finished a solitary point behind ETO FC Győr in this season’s Nemzeti Bajnokság I, the club’s first title failure in eight years, and were then eliminated from the Europa League at the round of 16, beaten 4-2 on aggregate by Braga.

Celtic’s managerial picture after a turbulent campaign

Celtic‘s own season has been extraordinarily chaotic: Brendan Rodgers resigned in October, Martin O’Neill stepped in as interim, Wilfried Nancy arrived as permanent boss in December, only to be sacked after 33 days, and O’Neill then returned to steady the ship from January onwards.

O’Neill, who led Celtic to seven trophies in his first spell between 2000 and 2005, guided the club to their record-breaking 56th league title this season, sealing it with a 3-1 win over Hearts on the final day. He is now widely expected to step down following Saturday’s Scottish Cup final against Dunfermline Athletic at Hampden Park.

What does Keane’s record say about Celtic’s options?

Keane scored 12 goals in 16 league appearances during a loan spell at Parkhead in 2010, winning the Celtic Fans’ Player of the Year award, and he has since established himself as a credible manager. Over 82 games in charge of Ferencvaros, he recorded 51 wins, 16 draws and 15 losses, a win percentage of 62.2%, collecting one league title and one Hungarian Cup. Yet a Slovakian option lingers as Slovan Bratislava’s CEO has openly stated Keane is on their radar, making Celtic’s move all the more urgent.

Should Celtic appoint Keane this summer?

NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – JANUARY 29: Robbie Keane, Head Coach of Ferencvarosi TC, looks on prior to the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD8 match between Nottingham Forest FC and Ferencvarosi TC at City Ground on January 29, 2026 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Celtic need a permanent manager with genuine winning habits, a clear identity and the emotional intelligence to hold together a dressing room that has seen four different bosses in a single season. Keane ticks several of those boxes. His 62% win rate in Hungarian football, his Europa League progression, and his ability to develop young talent, notably Hungary international Alex Toth, who has since moved to Bournemouth, all point to a coach who builds rather than simply inherits.

His connection to the club matters too, but it cannot be the sole reason for the appointment. The real argument for Keane is that Celtic, moving into a summer of squad renewal on a mid-tier budget, need someone who can squeeze value out of a group rather than demand a transfer war chest. He has demonstrated precisely that in Budapest.

The one genuine complication is the political sensitivity around his previous role at Maccabi Tel Aviv, which already divides opinion among Celtic supporters. That conversation will not disappear.

Still, with the alternatives thinning, Motherwell’s Jens Berthel Askou agreed to join Toulouse earlier this week, and Celtic needing decisive action, Keane is the most realistic, credible appointment available. The board should move quickly before Slovan Bratislava do.