Midfielder Veliche Shumulikoski says manager Roy Keane leaving Portman Road for Celtic would be a "huge blow” for the club. Keane has been widely linked with the job but former Town skipper and coach Tony Mowbray now appears set for the Parkhead hotseat.

Speaking ahead of playing for Macedonia in their World Cup qualifier against Norway today, Shumulikoski said: "It would be a huge blow to Ipswich if Celtic went for Roy Keane.

"But I'm not surprised he's been linked with the job because he is a former player with the club and, most importantly, a brilliant manager.

"For me, though, he must stay at Ipswich because he's so good. We want to get into the Premiership and I'm sure he could help us achieve that.

"Don't get me wrong, if he went to Celtic I'm sure he'd do a great job and would get the club on the up again so for them he should be top choice. I just hope they're not thinking like that.

"I've seen other names such as Mark McGhee and Tony Mowbray linked with the job and from a selfish point of view I'd rather Celtic went for them or someone else.

"Keane was a brilliant player and is now a brilliant coach. He did a good job at
Sunderland and in the short time he's been at Ipswich you can see his qualities.

"As a player he was aggressive and he's the same as a manager - you can see the players are hungrier already in training and as a midfielder myself maybe I can learn from him.

"We won the two games he was in charge for and you can't ask more than that. He's spoken with all the players and we're very impressed.

"There are good players at Ipswich and I'm sure he'll bring in new ones. We had 13 guys out of contract so I think there will be big changes."

Shumulikoski, contracted to Town until the summer of 2010, was rarely involved under former boss Jim Magilton last season and will hope to play a bigger role in 2009/10.

A number of ex-Celtic players have been seemingly campaigning for Keane to be offered the Bhoys manager's job, but it appears Tony Mowbray is on the verge of being named the new top man at Parkhead. According to reports this morning, the appointment is set to go ahead subject to a £1 million compensation package being agreed with Mowbray's current club West Brom.

Meanwhile, Keane is reported to have viewed a £1 million house within a mile of the club's Playford Road training ground. Previously, the Blues boss was reported to have found his dream Suffolk home in the Woodbridge area, but had been unable to persuade the current owners to move out.

Town have confirmed that, as reported earlier in the week, Playford Road is being given a revamp this summer: "The club can confirm that the training ground is undergoing part-refurbishment and redecoration, the first such improvements since opening the centre in 2001."

Elsewhere, released defender Chris Casement, who is set to win his first full Northern Irish cap later today, has been linked with League One Gillingham. Casement spent a successful spell on loan at Wycombe Wanderers, who like the Gills won promotion from League Two, with manager Peter Taylor understood to be interested in signing him permanently this summer.

Former Town loanee Giovani Dos Santos has been linked with a one-year loan move to Spanish side Espanyol. Currently with Spurs, Dos Santos, who this week has been romantically linked with Mexican pop star Belinda, was previously with Espanyol's local rivals Barcelona.

Town boss Roy Keane has already ruled out Dos Santos returning to Portman Road for a second loan spell next season.

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