Celtic are eyeing a potential move for England Under-21s manager Lee Carsley as their next boss, as they look to find the perfect replacement for Brendan Rodgers at Parkhead.

Rodgers’ second spell in charge of the Hoops went out in a whimper, following an underwhelming start to the season in the Scottish Premiership, with Martin O’Neill placed in interim charge.

While the Irishman has seemingly only come in for a short spell as manager, taking charge until the right permanent appointment is made, a new report has claimed that he would be willing to take the job until the end of the season.

Victory at home to Rangers on Sunday afternoon would not only be a massive step in the right direction for Celtic, but could even persuade those high up at the club that O’Neill is the right man to continue for longer than originally expected.

That’s not to say that other potential candidates aren’t being mentioned, however, with Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna backed to be Rodgers’ successor, and Club Brugge head coach Nicky Hayen also seen as an option.

Lee Carsley linked with Celtic job

Now, 67 Hail Hail claim that Celtic are eyeing Carsley to be their next manager, with the Hoops “long-term admirers” of him, meaning he could “be in contention” to come in.

That said, the former Republic of Ireland international “isn’t a frontrunner for the job”, so at this stage, others feel more likely to take charge at Parkhead.

Carsley would be an interesting choice for Celtic if they did go down that route, with Roy Keane heaping praise on him during his brief stint as England’s interim boss before Thomas Tuchel came in.

“For England, it’s all positive. The big players performed, young players stepped up. Lee Carsley deserves huge praise. They really looked like they enjoyed it. They didn’t seem to be under that much pressure and played with freedom.”

Perhaps the biggest risk in Celtic appointing Carsley is the fact that he is yet to manage at club level, with his only roles coming with England, including his current Under-21s role.

England Under-21s

2025-present

11

2.27

England (interim)

2024

6

2.50

England Under-21s

2021-2024

29

2.41

England Under-20s

2020-2021

1

3.00

For that reason, bringing him in would be a gamble at a point when a safe pair of hands is required to steady the ship after a frustrating end to Rodgers’ reign.

Carsley may be desperate to prove his worth in the club game, though, and if he impresses Celtic’s bosses more than the rest, they need to be trusted.

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