Adams claims Celtic will team him up with Jansen

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Celtic's search for a manager to replace Gordon Strachan took a strange twist yesterday when Tony Adams claimed he was being lined up for a partnership with the club's former manager Wim Jansen. Adams said Celtic had approached Jansen, who then insisted on bringing the former Portsmouth manager with him as part of a continental-style management team.

However, a Celtic Park source later said the claims were "complete garbage", while Jansen has recently denied interest in a return to Celtic.

The claims came after Roberto Martinez was quoted expressing interest in moving to Celtic, although the club are increasingly likely to face serious competition from Wigan Athletic if they continue to pursue the Swansea City manager. Martinez is expected to discuss Celtic's approach with his employers when he returns from holiday today.

Adams told Talksport: "My good friend Wim Jansen is probably in at Celtic. It would be him as technical director and me as manager. I've not applied for the role. I know Wim Jansen, who has put me in there. I think they approached him, and I know Wim from my Feyenoord days, and he's actually said that he would only do the role if I were to be made manager. That's Wim's opinion, not Celtic's." Adams worked under Jansen during a six-month spell as Feyenoord Under-21 coach in 2005.