Who Chris Sutton thinks Celtic should appoint as links to Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna emerge | OneFootball

Chris Sutton believes Celtic should target a reunion with Ange Postecoglou amid links with Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna.

Pundit Chris Sutton believes his former club Celtic should look to re-appoint Ange Postecoglou as manager following the departure of Brendan Rodgers amid speculation linking the Scottish giants with Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna.

It has been a nightmare start to the season for Celtic, with the club currently sitting eight points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts after a 3-1 defeat at Tynecastle on Sunday, while they were also knocked out of the Champions League in the final qualifying round by Kazakh minnows Kairat Almaty in August.

The Hoops' disastrous campaign took another dramatic turn on Monday night when Rodgers resigned from his position as manager, with his exit coming amid growing tensions with the board after a frustrating summer transfer window, and that led majority shareholder Dermot Desmond to release an explosive statement in which he described the Northern Irishman as "divisive, misleading and self-serving".

Former Celtic boss Martin O'Neill has made a surprise return to the club as interim manager as the search for Rodgers' permanent replacement gets underway, and it has been claimed that McKenna is one name under consideration for the vacancy.

According to talkSPORT, McKenna has the backing of O'Neill, who is believed to have shared his opinion with Desmond, but Ipswich would fight to keep hold of the 39-year-old, and it would reportedly cost more than £5 million to prize him and his backroom team away from Portman Road.

McKenna has been in charge of the Tractor Boys since December 2021, and he led them to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League in his first two full seasons in Suffolk, but after suffering relegation from the top flight last season, his side currently sit 12th in the Championship table after an inconsistent start to the campaign.

Chris Sutton makes Ange Postecoglou, Celtic demand amid Kieran McKenna links

After Rodgers' shock resignation was announced on Monday night, former Celtic striker and pundit Sutton took to social media to call for Postecoglou to make a sensational return to Glasgow, over two years after departing to take over at Tottenham Hotspur.

"So in the end it was all Brendan's fault. Good luck to Martin O'Neill and Shaun Maloney in the short term. Bring back Big Ange," Sutton wrote on X.

Sutton later doubled down on his plea for the Hoops to bring Postecoglou back, telling Sky Sports: "I think Ange Postecoglou would be a really smart appointment. He was loved the first time round.

"His brand of football went down well in Glasgow. He's out of work.

"I think that would be a pretty obvious choice, a good choice and bring a lot of positivity back to Celtic, which they need right now."

Postecoglou won five domestic trophies during his two-year spell as Celtic manager, and after leaving for Spurs in 2023, he oversaw fifth and 17th-placed Premier League finishes during his time in charge of the North London outfit, as well as winning the Europa League last season.

The 60-year-old then took over from Nuno Espírito Santo at Nottingham Forest in September, but he failed to win any of his eight games in charge at the City Ground, drawing two and losing six, and he was sacked after just 39 days at the helm earlier this month.

Ipswich Town may have big Kieran McKenna fear after Ange Postecoglou, Celtic update

Postecoglou was a popular figure during his time at Celtic, so many supporters will likely share Sutton's desire to see him return to the club to replace Rodgers, but they may be left disappointed.

While McKenna is known to be among the Hoops' targets, talkSPORT claim that sources close to Postecoglou have "downplayed" the possibility of him returning to Celtic Park for a second spell in charge, and even if the club were interested in bringing him back, it is unclear whether the Australian would be willing to step back into the dugout so soon after his bruising spell at Nottingham Forest.

With Postecoglou seemingly not in the frame as things stand, Ipswich fans will be increasingly worried about the prospect of McKenna being poached by Celtic, but it is far from the first time he has been linked with other jobs, and he has always remained loyal to the Tractor Boys, so that may provide them with some reassurance.