Martin O'Neill Champions Robbie Keane for Celtic Managerial Position
Martin O'Neill, the interim manager of Celtic, has publicly endorsed Robbie Keane as a prime candidate to take over the permanent managerial role at the Scottish Premiership club this summer. O'Neill admits that during their time together in the Republic of Ireland dressing room, he might not have immediately identified Keane as future management material. However, observing Keane's impressive achievements in charge of Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ferencvaros has completely changed his perspective.
Keane's Rising Managerial Profile
Robbie Keane, now 45 years old, has rapidly ascended the coaching ranks after concluding his illustrious playing career. Following assistant roles at Middlesbrough and Leeds United, Keane secured the Israeli Premier League title with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2024. This success earned him a move to Ferencvaros, where he is currently pursuing a second consecutive Hungarian league championship. His accomplishments have not gone unnoticed, with Keane now installed as the bookmakers' favourite for the Celtic job and reportedly holding admirers within the Celtic boardroom.
In a recent interview, Keane openly expressed his ambitions to manage at a higher level and reaffirmed his enduring affection for Celtic. During a loan spell from Tottenham in the 2009-10 season, Keane scored 16 goals in just 19 appearances for the Glasgow club, creating a lasting bond with the supporters.
O'Neill's Candid Assessment
When directly questioned about Keane's suitability for the Celtic role, O'Neill responded emphatically. "Why not?" said O'Neill. "Robbie has done really fine at Ferencvaros, so why shouldn't he be? The football club should be looking at someone of that sort of calibre."
O'Neill reflected on their shared history with the Irish national team, noting that Keane was in the latter stages of his playing career during O'Neill's tenure as manager, which included Euro 2016. "We could have done with him when he was 26 or 27, rather than the latter part of his career," O'Neill remarked, acknowledging Keane's status as Ireland's most-capped player and all-time leading goal scorer.
The veteran manager offered a thoughtful perspective on predicting managerial potential, drawing from his own experiences at Nottingham Forest. "Did he strike me as a future manager? That's always hard to say," O'Neill admitted, recounting how defender Larry Lloyd seemed destined for management but ultimately left the profession. "Personally, I might have been the most unlikely player at Forest to become a manager. So I don't know enough about Robbie as a person to say how he would manage a group of people in a dressing room, but he's made a fair fist of it so far."
O'Neill's Current Focus and Future Uncertainty
Despite his endorsement of Keane, O'Neill remains fully concentrated on his immediate task at Celtic Park. The 74-year-old is attempting to salvage Celtic's season, with the team still in contention for a domestic double. His recent scouting mission to Preston's Championship match against QPR sparked speculation about his longer-term plans, but O'Neill downplayed its significance.
"It was a chance to see a live Championship game and I wouldn't be reading a great deal more into it," he explained, noting his longstanding connection to Preston director Peter Ridsdale. "If there is someone who I think could be good for Celtic, the new manager might have a totally different opinion. But if we were looking at a couple of players in that game, at least it's someone you can put on the board and say 'we looked at them'."
O'Neill has previously hinted at a willingness to remain at Celtic in some capacity beyond this season but remains coy about his specific future role.
Striking Concerns Amid Title Pursuit
As Celtic approach a fascinating season finale, O'Neill faces particular challenges in his striking department. Kelechi Iheanacho, who has struggled with injuries, came off the bench to score a crucial winner against Dundee last Sunday, potentially earning a start against St Mirren. However, O'Neill remains cautious about the Nigerian forward's fitness.
"Iheanacho is fired up and has a lot of natural ability," said O'Neill. "We're not sure whether to start him because there's a decent chance he won't last the game. He says he would, but we'll see. If he stays fit between now and the end of the season, we'll need him."
Compounding the issue, Czech striker Tomas Cvancara continues to struggle for form and confidence. "I think it's fair to say Tomas could do with more confidence," O'Neill observed. "He missed two or three chances last week, one he would have taken with more confidence. There were parts of his game I was pleased about but eventually centre forwards have to live and die by the number of goals they score."
With the Premiership title and Scottish Cup still within reach, O'Neill's primary objective remains extracting maximum performance from his current squad while acknowledging that the club's future managerial direction may well include serious consideration of Robbie Keane's compelling credentials.
