Next Celtic Manager Odds: Wilfried Nancy Still Favourite To Fill Hoops Vacancy
Wilfried Nancy may not be known by many fans this side of the Atlantic, but the Columbus Crew head coach is still the overwhelming favourite on football betting sites to replace Brendan Rodgers as Celtic manager.
Nancy has won a couple of trophies in the last two years and was crowned MLS coach of the year in 2024, so could he be the man to resurrect the Hoops' fortunes?
For now, former Celtic boss Martin O'Neill remains in temporary charge following the shock resignation of Rodgers and is still in the running after a reasonably successful stint at the helm.
Celtic bounced back from a miserable 3-1 Europa League defeat at Midtjylland by crushing Kilmarnock 4-0 before the international break and narrowing the gap on leaders Hearts to seven points with a game in hand.
O'Neill and assistant Shaun Maloney will continue to stay in charge until the recruitment process for a new manager has been finalised.
So who could take the helm at Parkhead in the coming weeks? We check out the contenders and the latest next Celtic manager odds.
As #CelticFC continue with the process to appoint our next permanent manager, we can confirm that Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney will continue to manage first-team matters on an interim basis, until this process is complete.
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) November 17, 2025
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Hoops Fancy Nancy For Coach Role
Celtic have reportedly been holding talks with Columbus Crew over compensation for Nancy, who has one year left on his contract.
The 48-year-old Frenchman won the MLS Cup with the Crew in 2023 followed a year later by the Leagues Cup, an annual tournament for the best teams in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Crew's season ended when they were knocked out of the 2025 play-offs by Ohio rivals Cincinnati and now it could be the end of the line for their head coach.
Nancy, who also steered Columbus to last year's CONCACAF Champions Cup final, was 10/1 for the Celtic job a couple of weeks ago, but his odds have plummeted to 1/5 with Bet365.
Next Celtic Manager Odds:
Manager | Odds | Betting Site |
|---|---|---|
Wilfried Nancy | 1/5 | |
Kjetil Knutsen | 6/1 | |
Martin O'Neill | 6/1 | |
Kieran McKenna | 12/1 | |
Robbie Keane | 14/1 | |
John Kennedy | 16/1 | |
Shaun Maloney | 28/1 | |
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | 28/1 | |
Ange Postecoglou | 33/1 | |
Nicky Hayen | 40/1 | |
Craig Bellamy | 40/1 | |
Damien Duff | 50/1 |
(Odds correct at the time of publication: 12pm - 19/11/2025)
Knutsen Drifts On Back Of Nancy News
Kjetil Knutsen was the overwhelming favourite on a couple of betting sites a fortnight ago, but his odds have drifted from 7/4 to 6/1.
For the last seven seasons, Knutsen has been with Bodo/Glimt who have won the Eliteserien in four of the last five years and are a point behind leaders Viking with two games remaining, so another title is a possibility.
Remarkably, Bodo/Glimt also reached the Europa League semi-final in 2024/25.
The Celtic board may have to work hard to prise him away from the Norwegian champions as he turned down the chance to speak to Ajax a couple of years ago.
He has also been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Leeds job should Daniel Farke get the boot, so he appears to be a man in demand.
Celtic's Last Five Managers:
2014-2016 | 2016-2019 | 2019-2021 | 2021-2023 | 2023-2025 |
Deila | Rodgers | Lennon | Postecoglou | Rodgers |
O'Neill Cut After Interim Spell Extended
O'Neill was unsure of his future before the international break, but productive talks with the board mean he remains in charge until a new name has been appointed.
Despite Nancy being the overwhelming favourite to become the next Celtic manager, O'Neill's odds have been cut from 10/1 to 6/1 with the news his interim spell has been extended.
The Northern Irishman has won three of his four games in charge, including a Scottish League Cup semi-final victory over 10-man Rangers which went to extra-time, and he is likely to be in the dugout for Saturday.
Speaking to Celtic TV, O'Neill said: "If there’s not an announcement now in the next few days, then I’m happy to still be here for the weekend game against St Mirren."
Hoops Job Out Of Reach For McKenna
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna is reportedly still regarded by the Celtic board as a potential replacement for Rodgers, but his odds are now 12/1 on betting apps, so it seems unlikely he will get the job this time.
The 39-year-old Northern Irishman will forever be remembered as the man who ended the Tractor Boys' 22-year absence from the Premier League.
The return was short-lived, however, and Town find themselves back in the Championship, where they are one spot outside the play-offs following an impressive 4-1 victory at Swansea before the international break.
One source claimed McKenna was "very interested" in the vacancy, but the Celtic board seems to have gone in a different direction.
Keane A Double Title Winner
Robbie Keane played for six Premier League clubs, including two spells with Tottenham, who loaned out the Irishman to Celtic for a stint in 2010, during which he scored 12 goals in 16 appearances.
The former Liverpool striker is now making his name as a manager and has won titles in Israel and Hungary with Maccabi Tel Aviv and his current club Ferencvaros, who have made a decent start to the new season.
Keane would find it hard to resist the team he supports should they come calling, but at 14/1 he is not regarded as one of the favourites to fill the vacancy.
Maloney And Kennedy Outsiders
Maloney has been acting as O'Neill's assistant since Rodgers walked away from the club for a second time and is priced at 28/1 to get the job.
O'Neill, 73, believes the Celtic board are looking for a younger man to take on the challenge of one of the most demanding jobs in Scottish football, so could that be Maloney?
The 42-year-old won five titles as a player in the first of two spells with Celtic in the 2000s and remarkably went on to win the FA Cup with Wigan, the club he went on to manage 10 years later after a short spell with Hibs.
John Kennedy is also on the coaching staff at Parkhead, yet is available at a much shorter price of 16/1.
Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was sacked by Besiktas towards the end of August, is the same price as Maloney (28/1).
Ange Return Diminishing
Many pundits thought the stars had aligned for Ange Postecoglou to make an instant return to Parkhead when Rodgers handed in his resignation.
The Australian was sacked by Nottingham Forest last month just 39 days into his reign, having failed to win any of his eight matches in charge, so he is available.
Postecoglou was the initial 7/4 favourite to return to Celtic where he won five of the six domestic trophies available during his two-year reign, but those odds have since rocketed to 33/1.
Since leaving Parkhead, Postecoglou had mixed fortunes at Tottenham, where he won the Europa League, but there were no positives about his time at the City Ground.
That said, Celtic fans would welcome back Postecoglou in a heartbeat if he could replicate the success he had in his first spell.
Elsewhere, Club Brugge boss Nicky Hayen and Wales head coach Craig Bellamy, who had a loan spell with Celtic in the 2000s, can be backed at 40/1.
However, Damien Duff, who won the League of Ireland title with Shelbourne last year, has drifted to 50/1.
Who would Celtic fans want to see as their next manager? Comment below or vote in our poll above.
