Celtic tipped to hijack potential Preston North End manager swoop | OneFootball

Robbie Keane has attracted interest from Celtic amid links he could replace Paul Heckingbottom at Preston

Celtic are being backed to line up Robbie Keane as a potential replacement for Martin O’Neill as Hoops manager, amid links to the Preston North End vacancy.

The Lilywhites are currently without a permanent head coach following the decision to part ways with Paul Heckingbottom earlier this month.

Jason Euell has been placed in charge on a temporary basis, and he oversaw a 2-2 draw against QPR last weekend in his first game in the dugout.

The Lancashire outfit have struggled for form in the opening eight fixtures, and have earned just four points from a possible 24 - this has left PNE 23rd in the Championship table going into the September international break.

Keane emerged as a candidate for the vacancy in the immediate aftermath of Heckingbottom’s exit, but there could be other clubs eyeing him up after his success in Israel and Hungary.

Preston North End may face Celtic challenge for Robbie Keane

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It’s been reported by Football Insider that Keane is being lined up for the head coach role at Celtic, should O’Neill be dismissed.

The 74-year-old is under pressure despite winning six of the first seven league games, with a 3-1 loss in the Europa League at home to Ferencvaros putting him in the hot seat.

Keane is currently out of work after departing the Hungarian side at the end of last season after overseeing a second-place finish, as well as a domestic cup win in his final season in charge.

Former football scout Mick Brown believes that Celtic have laid the groundwork for Keane to move into the role quite quickly, once any decision is made on O’Neill’s future.

He claimed that the Premiership side already interviewed him in the summer before sticking with the veteran coach, and that this would pave the way to him taking charge without much of a delay.

"If Celtic are going to part ways with O'Neill then they will want a replacement in quickly," Brown told Football Insider.

"It's not quite as easy as that, we saw that last season and that put them in a very difficult position, it's the reason they've ended up with O'Neill staying for another season.

"But when you look at the options available to them, it's safe to say Robbie Keane is the most likely candidate because they've already interviewed him.

"They'll know what he's about, what his ideas for the squad are, his style of play, how he works on the training ground, all of that sort of thing.

"So it would minimise the amount of time they have to spend looking for somebody, because all of that information from his last interview will still be available to them.

"When you're looking at all of the options, he probably is the one that makes the most sense, unless they think there's somebody else who could be persuaded."

Keane played under O’Neill during his international career, and spent half a season on loan at Parkhead in 2009/10, giving him an obvious connection to the Scottish giants.

However, a number of Celtic fan groups came together to protest against his potential appointment over the summer, citing his work in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv as a key reason.

How Preston North End fans feel about Robbie Keane appointment

Preston fans are mixed on the potential appointment of Keane, with some claiming it would be a lack of ambition to bring in the Irishman.

Some supporters have questioned the decision makers, suggesting that Keane is not good enough to bring the club forward.

However, some fans are optimistic that he could be a smart option to replace Heckingbottom, citing his success in Hungary and Israel, as well as in the Europa League.

Preston supporters believe the trophies he’s won elsewhere is a sign he could succeed in the Championship.

Preston North End need to use the international break to make an appointment

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Keane’s interest from Celtic may not lead to an immediate appointment right now, but it could be a signal that he will wait instead of jumping into the role at Preston.

And the Lilywhites need to make use of this extended international break by bringing in a permanent replacement to Heckingbottom.

So this complicates the possibility of appointing Keane, and it may be wise for them to move onto other targets if they can’t convince the 46-year-old to take over straight away.

There are plenty of other options on the cards for Preston, and they simply can’t afford to pass up an opportunity like this break in the season to bring in somebody fresh.