Celtic’s Thirteenth Manager – Kenny Dalglish, job never interested him

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·3 December 2025

Celtic’s Thirteenth Manager – Kenny Dalglish, job never interested him

Celtic’s 13th Manager (2000) – Kenny Dalglish was never interested in the Celtic job…

Kenny Dalglish qualifies for inclusion as a Manager for, although he was appointed only as a Caretaker Manager after the demise of John Barnes, he did to an extent rally the team to win the Scottish League Cup, beating Aberdeen, a team who were in an even more desperate position than Celtic were.

Kenny Dalglish & Tommy Burns Glasgow Celtic FC 11 March 2000 Photo Allstar Picture Library

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It made us smile, at least for one week, but Celtic were a terrible team and the football was poor. The following week, we went to Ibrox like a man going to the dentist’s and lost 0-4.

These were grim times, but Kenny on at least two occasions made us smile. Once was when he held his Press Conference among the punters in Baird’s Bar in the Gallowgate, and the other was when he turned on a reporter who was pestering him and said “you’re getting like Chick Young”. That was quite an insult, Kenny!

Photo: imago/Colorsport – Kenny Dalglish and John Barnes, Scottish Premier League 1999/2000,

He was never interested in the job on a permanent basis. You wonder what he would have been like?

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Celtic in the Eighties and Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style both by David Potter. Photo The Celtic Star