Next Celtic manager odds: Who is the favourite to replace Brendan Rodgers?

Celtic are on the hunt for a new permanent manager after Brendan Rodgers’s shock departure and betting sites have compiled a list of likely candidates to take charge.

The former Liverpool and Leicester boss, in his second spell at Celtic Park, resigned after relations between him and the board seemingly became untenable.

Major shareholder Dermot Desmond didn’t pull any punches in the statement the club released to reveal the news, describing Rodgers’ actions while in the job as "divisive, misleading, and self-serving".

The reigning champions were beaten 3-1 by Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday, to leave them in second place, eight points behind Derek McInnes’ side in the SPL table.

After winning the league title 13 out of the last 14 times, that result alone caused shockwaves, but add to that the criticism of the board by Rodgers, and it was clear that all was not well at the club.

Former manager Martin O’Neill has been placed in temporary charge with ex-Celtic player Shaun Maloney named as his assistant.

The 73-year-old won three league titles, three Scottish Cups, a Scottish League Cup and led the Bhoys to the Uefa Cup final in 2003, but he has insisted he is only keeping the seat warm for the next incumbent. Despite ruling himself out, football betting sites have included him in their next Celtic manager markets.

Such is the trend of managers returning to clubs, you wouldn’t rule out a longer stay for O’Neill or maybe a return for a certain out-of-work Australian.

He might have had a short and difficult time in charge of Nottingham Forest, but Ange Postecoglou would be a popular choice with many Celtic fans, and he was the early favourite on most betting apps when the market opened.

The 60-year-old spent two years in charge at Parkhead, winning two SPL titles, the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup twice, before leaving to join Spurs in 2023.

Since then, he has won the Europa League and endured a difficult 39 days in charge of Forest before he was replaced by Sean Dyche 10 days ago.

Postecolgou is just behind Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, who has seen his price come in from 16-1 to even-money to replace Rodgers.

It is understood that McKenna is highly regarded at Celtic Park, but whether he is prepared to relinquish the project at Portman Road remains to be seen.

The 39-year-old has taken them from League One up to the Premier League, and they now sit 12th in the Championship with the benefit of parachute payments as they bid to go back up again.

The Northern Irishman is rated as one of British football’s top young coaches, and the Ipswich board could face a battle to keep him if Celtic come calling.

Another highly rated young coach is former Chelsea player Damien Duff, who stepped down as manager of Shelbourne back in June.

The Irishman spent almost four years in charge of the club, winning the League of Ireland Premier Division title in 2024 and the President Cup earlier this year.

He also has plenty of history at Celtic after joining the club as reserve team coach in January 2019. He was promoted to first team coach when Neil Lennon was named interim boss a month after arriving.

After guiding the club to their third successive treble, Lennon was made permanent manager and Duff stayed in his first team coach role - helping the Bhoys to their ninth league title in a row and a fourth straight League Cup.

He knows exactly what the club and, maybe more importantly, the fans demand and could be ready to make the big step up. He’s available at 16/1 on some football betting apps, just behind former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is also out of work after he was sacked by Besiktas in August after failing to qualify for the Europa Conference League.

With experience at the helm, the Celtic board are in no rush to make an appointment, and the list of contenders is likely to change regularly, so keep checking back for the latest Celtic manager odds.

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