McKenna Linked With Celtic Vacancy
Tuesday, 28th Oct 2025 12:28

Town boss Kieran McKenna is being linked with the vacant manager’s job at Celtic.

Brendan Rodgers made a shock departure from Parkhead yesterday, resigning with his side eight points behind Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership, with former incumbent Martin O’Neill quickly installed as interim manager with his one-time player Shaun Maloney as his assistant.

Another ex-Celtic boss, Ange Postecoglou, is currently favourite for a return to Glasgow at 7-4 with Bet365, but The Scotsman and other newspapers north of the border are reporting that McKenna has admirers in the Parkhead boardroom having previously been linked in the summer of 2023.

Those reports, and claims O’Neill has backed McKenna to be a potential candidate, have seen the 39-year-old move to second-favourite with most bookies, at 3-1 at time of writing.

McKenna, who was very speculatively linked with the Rangers job earlier in the month, is contracted to the Blues until the summer of 2028 and would cost Celtic a significant figure in compensation - as well as wages - should they firm up their reported interest.

Whether McKenna would then be tempted by a move to the Bhoys, a club with whom he has some affinity, remains to be seen.

The Town boss held talks with Chelsea, Manchester United and Brighton in the summer of 2024, coming very close to joining the Seagulls having previously been on the verge of moving to Crystal Palace during the previous season, but opted to remain with the Blues ahead of their Premier League campaign.

Following the Blues’ relegation, aside from vague links with Brentford, it was a relatively quiet summer regarding speculation on McKenna’s future.

In addition to McKenna and Postecoglou, Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen is also said to be among those interesting the Scottish Premiership champions.

Photo: Action Images

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virginblue added 08:18 - Oct 29 Anybody who wants that narcissist Brendan Rodgers at our club needs to give their head a wobble.
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BangaloreBlues added 08:26 - Oct 29 KMK to Celtic and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to Portman Road...
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TownSupporter added 08:32 - Oct 29

Can’t dwell on the past in football.

Yes, there have been highs, but if you don’t capitalise and stride forward - you get left behind.

McCarthy worked with what he had and for many a season did well with what was given to him.

McKenna has been given about of gold - he just needs to follow the rainbow. He just needs to start moving a lot faster before the rain stops.

warktheline added 08:35 - Oct 29

@arnie, grow up! You might not be aware that not everyone agrees with all your opinions! Therefore you will get downvoted! Nothing to cry over..I’ve always found you to be extremely fickle and you constantly ‘ blow with the wind’…that’s my personal opinion of you!

@blueboy, wouldn’t expect anything else from you! You’ve never ever acknowledged McKenna’s success and by the law of averages you will eventually be proven right, in a very warped manner!

bluesnightorg added 08:55 - Oct 29

Commenters who would actually like McKenna to leave, or who constantly criticise him in other articles, all fit into one of three categories:

1. People who do not want ITFC to do well.

2. Very impatient people.

3. Fools.*

I suppose it’s fairly likely some of them fit into two or three categories at once.

* I thought about a separate category for people whose involvement in the game in the past, or enthusiasm for football-related computer games, has led them to believe they know more about it than they really do, but I have decided to include them here, for brevity.

Phil1969 added 08:56 - Oct 29 McKenna won’t leave. Just putting it out there about our past glory players. Hutchinson not getting in team and on third manger, Chaplin getting stick at Portsmouth, Broadhead hauled off at halftime in big Welsh derby last night. Morsey without a club! We just need time to gel properly with better players Kieran knows that!
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OliveR16 added 09:48 - Oct 29

bluesnightorg - the big miss in your assessment may be

4. The owners

Currently we are a very attractive prospect for managers and there is real evidence that McKenna is not doing as well as he once was. He did not inspire several players to stay with the club last summer, he has admitted that. If a club like Celtic want to buy him out I don't think the owners will strive to keep him as they did previously. They will open a new chapter (which will have to be opened in the next couple of years anyway).

Razor added 09:59 - Oct 29 Itfc 58 fully agree with you and I have written to Ashton reminding him this is not the wrong in new york!
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Razor added 10:01 - Oct 29 Sorry meant the bronze in new york
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Razor added 10:02 - Oct 29 BRONX
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bluesnightorg added 11:08 - Oct 29

Yup, OliveR, you are absolutely right. If it goes that way, I will be very disappointed, but, hell, that’s happened before. Also, I’d just have to include them in the impatient people. And I did say ‘commenters’. I’d be even more disappointed if I found out that anybody above youth-team level even read the hogwash we get on here sometimes, let alone believed it.

dirtydingusmagee added 13:07 - Oct 29 Gforce it is worrying that he seems to have disappeared, McKenna relied on him ,
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Gforce added 18:07 - Oct 29 Dark horse......-96 is that a new record ?
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blueoneness added 20:46 - Oct 29 @inthedarkhorse “That’s a thesis, not a comment — I had to make a cuppa halfway through just to stay hydrated. But fair play, you’ve managed to criticise every layer of management short of the tea lady. If Celtic do end up with his Baggies address book, hopefully it’s got your scouting reports in it — they’re longer than some transfer windows.”
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Tedray added 21:15 - Oct 29 If he goes will he take Akpom Smodics and Macateer with him.what a waste of millions. Seems pointless to buy players who have peaked and therefore unlikely to do so again.
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