
Brendan Rodgers resigned as Celtic manager on Monday following back-to-back defeats that left the club eight points adrift of league leaders Hearts, resulting in the Bhoys drifting to 4/6 with Betfred to win the Scottish Premiership.
His departure brings an abrupt end to his second spell at Parkhead. The decision reportedly surprised the board, coming amid growing pressure after a disappointing run of results.
Rodgers had returned to Celtic in 2023, aiming to restore domestic dominance, but recent performances and reported tensions behind the scenes appear to have accelerated his exit. Attention now turns to who will take charge of the Scottish champions next.
Ange Postecoglou was installed as the early favourite to replace Rodgers, and a return to Celtic would make practical sense for both sides.
The Australian oversaw a successful two-year spell between 2021 and 2023, winning successive league titles, two League Cups and a domestic treble in his final season. His style of play and ability to rebuild the team after a turbulent period earned him lasting respect among supporters.
He left for Tottenham Hotspur in 2023, where he won the Europa League but was dismissed after a poor league campaign that ended with Spurs in 17th place. A short stint at Nottingham Forest followed, and he is now without a club.
With Celtic needing a familiar and capable figure to steady things, Postecoglou’s name naturally comes back into the frame. Given his past success and current availability, the timing appears to be ideal.
Some Scottish betting sites have shortened Postecoglou to 15/8 to return to Parkhead, while Betfred are a touch bigger at 2/1.
Kieran McKenna has been backed into 11/10 with Betfred. The Northern Irishman has been at Ipswich Town since December 2021, guiding them to successive promotions from League One to the Premier League in 2023 and 2024.
The Tractor Boys were relegated from the top flight last season and currently sit 12th in the Championship. McKenna has been named EFL Championship Manager of the Month three times in his career, including this September, and won the league’s Manager of the Season award in 2024.
He signed a new contract with Ipswich last year after reported approaches from Chelsea and Brighton, but his name continues to appear prominently in betting markets for major vacancies.
Former Celtic player Shaun Maloney is priced around 7/1 and already has experience managing in the Scottish Premiership. He took the Hibernian job in December 2021 but was dismissed four months later after a bad run of results, despite early promise.
Maloney later managed Wigan Athletic, arriving in January 2023 and helping them stay in League One despite an eight-point deduction, before being sacked in March 2025 with the club in 15th place.
Maloney came through Celtic’s youth system and made over 100 appearances between 2001 and 2007. He also began his coaching career at Celtic in 2017 before joining Belgium’s national team staff under Roberto Martínez, working with them through Euro 2020.
Martin O’Neill has taken temporary charge of Celtic after Rodgers’ exit and is priced at 10/1 to take the job permanently. The 72-year-old previously managed the club from 2000 to 2005, winning three league titles, three Scottish Cups, a League Cup and reaching the 2003 UEFA Cup final.
Speaking after returning to the dugout, O’Neill made clear that his appointment is only short term.
"Interim does mean that to me. Absolutely," he said. "Celtic are looking for, I would have assumed, a young coach who has a proven ability and would be wanting to pull the club forward now.”
Robbie Keane, who had a loan spell at Celtic in 2010, is 12/1 for the job, having been manager of Ferencvaros since the start of 2025.
Norwegian pair Kjetil Knutsen and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are at similar odds, and so is Marco Rose, who left RB Leipzig in March.
Damien Duff is at 16/1 along with Roberto Mancini, who would be a sensational get for the Bhoys.

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