David Moyes has refused to rule out replacing Ronny Deila as Celtic’s manager, with the Scot confirming he will wait until the summer before deciding where his career will be heading next.
Moyes is the leading candidate to succeed Deila after widely expected confirmation that the Norwegian will depart Celtic Park at this season’s end arrived on Wednesday. That time-frame fits with the former Manchester United and Real Sociedad manager’s outlined plan.
However, primarily on the grounds of salary and budget, there is a private acknowledgement within the Glasgow club that Moyes, a former Celtic player, may prove to be out of their reach. The 52-year-old seems content to assess what opportunities arise in England; he has been continually linked with Aston Villa, for example.
“There have been a few jobs come up and I haven’t taken them; the bookies have got them wrong,” Moyes told Sky with a smile and in relation to his short-priced status at Celtic.
“Let me tell you, Celtic is a brilliant football club. A great football club with unbelievable support and fanbase, one of the biggest in the world. I’m going to wait and make my decision in the summertime. There is no hurry. There are lots of jobs that would interest me and, as I said, Celtic is a great club.”
Moyes retains family connections in Glasgow and has been a frequent visitor to Celtic’s matches. He will not be alone in attracting their glances, however.
Brendan Rodgers is known to have boardroom admiration although, like Moyes, the former Liverpool manager may well prefer an opportunity in England or further afield in Europe. Roy Keane was offered the manager’s post before Deila took office in 2014 and is again worthy of significant mention. The Republic of Ireland’s assistant manager has a connection to Celtic’s principal shareholder, Dermot Desmond, and is thought to be keen on a return to club management.
Celtic have no current plans to announce their new man before the conclusion to this campaign, partly out of respect for Deila’s imminent retention of theScottish Premiership title. The club’s chief executive, Peter Lawwell, held a series of meeting with players and staff on Tuesday afternoon, when he urged full focus on the claiming of that title after Sunday’s wounding Scottish Cup semi-final defeat against Rangers.
Michael O’Neill, the Northern Ireland manager, and Neil Lennon, whom Deila succeeded, are being played down for now. Lennon left Celtic immediately before Deila arrived and has made his availability for a return known.
“I would definitely be interested,” he said. “I am not promoting myself for it but you have asked an honest question and I am giving you an honest answer. I think you always miss being part of Celtic. I was associated with the club for 15 years,I missed it when I left as a player and there are aspects that you miss, even now at 44 years of age.”
