Kennedy exit more damaging to Celtic than Rodgers resigning

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The Celtic Star

·20 de febrero de 2026

Kennedy exit more damaging to Celtic than Rodgers resigning

Former Celtic coach Darren O’Dea believes the departure of John Kennedy proved more damaging to the club than Brendan Rodgers’ own exit, insisting events surrounding Wilfried Nancy might have unfolded very differently had the long-serving assistant remained…

John Kennedy and Brendan Rodgers at the Premier Sports Cup semi-final, Celtic against Aberdeen. Photo AJ for The Celtic Star

O’Dea – who worked in several coaching roles during Rodgers’ time at Celtic – made the striking assessment while reflecting on the turbulent period that followed.

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The former Celtic and Republic of Ireland defender left Glasgow last summer to take up a position as assistant manager at Swansea City, but soon found himself watching the fallout at his former club from afar. He described the situation as ‘an absolute mess’, admitting he revealed details he perhaps should have kept private.

Martin O’Neill arrives at Celtic Park ahead of the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 Knockout Play-off First Leg match between Celtic FC and VfB Stuttgart at Celtic Park on February 19, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)

Following Rodgers’ departure, Celtic turned to Martin O’Neill on an interim basis, with the veteran manager restoring a measure of stability. However, O’Neill’s successor Wilfried Nancy endured a disastrous spell in charge, lasting 33 days before being dismissed, which forced O’Neill to return again until the end of the campaign.

Martin O’Neill, the twice European Cup Winner with Nottingham Forest, has for the second time this season overturned a substantial Hearts lead in the Scottish Premiership table. Celtic are now just three points behind the Tynecastle side with a game in hand and sports betting Ireland has the current Scottish Champions down as favourites to win the title for what would be the 14th time in a decade and a half.

Darren O’Dea of Republic of Ireland looks on during the Ireland training session at Watford FC Training Ground on May 27, 2013 in London Colney, England. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images)

O’Dea argues the problems ran deeper than Nancy’s tenure, pointing instead to Kennedy’s exit as a decisive factor. In his view, the continuity and experience Kennedy offered had been vital behind the scenes, and he is convinced that had the coach stayed, the club’s succession planning and the subsequent upheaval would have taken a very different course.

Speaking via Open Goal Podcast, O’Dea said: “I’m going to make a comment that I probably shouldn’t, I should probably keep this to myself. John Kennedy leaving Celtic is bigger than Brendan Rodgers leaving Celtic in terms of impact.”

John Kennedy and Stephen McManus sign for Celtic as 14 and 15 years olds in February 1998. John Kennedy became the youngest ever Celt when Kenny Dalglish gave him his debut in April 2000 against Motherwell in a 4-0 win at Celtic Park

“He’s been there for 27 years. The staff there runs to his tune. Neil Lennon put a tag over him – ‘chief of staff.’ He runs the day-to-day. He’s obviously loyal to the manager and buys into what the manager wants, but he runs the staff, and the staff won’t have liked him leaving. That’s my opinion on it anyway.”

“Nancy coming in, you weren’t just changing manager for manager. You’re having to change everything, and then you’re trying to win games. It would have been different, 100 per cent [if Nancy had kept Kennedy].”

“My understanding was he wasn’t asked to stay. He was gone. That’s my understanding of it. It wasn’t a conversation. He left with Brendan.”

Brendan Rodgers and assistant John Kennedy attend a team training session at the Celtic Training Centre in Lennoxtown. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)

O’Dea was also questioned on whether Brendan Rodgers appeared fully committed to the club in the period before his own departure for Swansea last summer.

The former Celtic centre-back responded candidly, saying: “No. I don’t know if this is factual, but my understanding was he would have left at the end of the season at the end of his contract. With the way he previously left the club, he certainly wanted to honour his contract.”

“But a lot has obviously happened and it’s culminated in Dermot Desmond having had enough. I don’t know if Brendan went in and offered his resignation, no-one has an idea what exactly happened. Because he didn’t get sacked, he left.”

Callum McGregor with Wilfried Nancy. Premier Sports Cup Final. St Mirren v Celtic. Hampden Park, Sunday 14 December 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

“But then there’s the wipeout – John Kennedy left, Paul Tisdale eventually left after Wilfried Nancy. The amount of change is incredible.”

“I listened to Nancy’s first few interviews and I thought ‘you’re not really reading the room here.’ But I felt sorry for Nancy, because he was coming in to an absolute mess.”