Rafa Benitez admits he would consider managing Celtic in the future - according to a report.
The Newcastle boss was heavily linked with becoming the next Hoops manager before Neil Lennon was appointed.
He was heavily backed at the bookies to take the post, at one stage emerging as favourite.
But the Spaniard admits there was never any contact with Celtic as he attempts to sort out his future on Tyneside, although he did consult former Rangers scout Frank McParland about the post.
According to ITV journalist Peter Smith, who spoke with Benitez in Madrid this weekend, the former Liverpool gaffer did not rule out a move to Glasgow in the future.
His position at Newcastle remains uncertain as talks with owner Mike Ashley continue against the backdrop of a possible takeover from the Bin Zayed Group.
Benitez apparently said that he was "in the dark" over what his next move would be.
Meanwhile, Lennon has revealed former Ibrox icon Graeme Souness is one of his closest confidants in football.
The Irishman detailed conversations with Souness over the years that have helped him mellow.
“You just have to park the madness because a lot of it isn’t real.
“I’m nowhere near as aggressive as I was the first time around. I wanted to take on the world back then and prove a point and that kind of stuff. That might been detrimental to me occupationally so I’ve learned to deal with that and my temperament is a lot better for the job.
“I can do it, I’ve done it before and these guys have bestowed on me the opportunity so I couldn’t have said no.
“When you’re in a public position, you’re going to get criticised one way or another. Whether you are a sports person or a celebrity or whatever. You can’t take it too personally.
“I‘ve learned to stay really focused and in the present as a manager. I think that’s really important, that you don’t get caught up in any of the hype.
“Which I probably did when I was younger. That has been a real lesson learned. It’s something that I’ve spoken to Graeme about time and time again. He did change as he got older as well.
“I don’t think he’ll appreciate me saying this but we are sort of cut from the same cloth. We have a lot of ties to the city.
“I think he is a brilliant pundit anyway but as a footballer and a manager, I have great respect for him. And he has had a good influence on me. We talk about the game a lot, off screen, on screen.
“I worked with him for two years in Ireland and he was a pleasure to be with. I respect him totally because he has done this and he knows how difficult it can be.”
