Roy Keane emerges as odds-on favourite to become new Celtic manager

The former Manchester United midfielder has been linked with the vacant managerial role at Celtic

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Roy Keane has been made odds-on favourite to become Celtic’s new manager following the dismissal of Neil Lennon last month.

The ex-Sunderland and Ipswich boss has seen his odds cut drastically to 4/11 after Rafa Benitez claimed yesterday that his “priority” is to return to England.

Keane had been considered an outsider for the Celtic job but sentiments appear to be changing as the search for a new manager continues.

The 49-year-old has not held a managerial position since leaving Ipswich in 2011, though he was assistant manager at Nottingham Forest as recently as 2019.

“Is Roy Keane managerial material? Absolutely,” former Celtic boss Martin O’Neill the Go Radio Football Show.

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“I have worked with him I know as an assistant basis. He has got an opinion, he knows the game inside out, and is a strong character.

“The argument would be ‘does the modern player feel that he can be comfortable in those surroundings?’. That is a decision for other people.

“But absolutely {he can adapt} I think sometimes there is a feeling here that anybody of a certain age or certain vintage has the word dinosaur attached to them.

“Roy has his own methods, it is there when he does his punditry work you can see that is the case.

“And I think strong characters at a football cub would like that sort of management.

“It doesn’t please everyone. But whatever style of manager you have, you are not going to please everyone in the dressing room.”