Celtic receive Martin O'Neill replacement message
Former Chelsea and Everton goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has urged Celtic to appoint Sean Dyche as their new manager if Martin O’Neill steps down.
O’Neill, 74, was appointed on a permanent basis in June, following a sublime interim stint last season, and his side are currently top of the Scottish Premiership table with 18 points from their opening seven league matches.
However, the Bhoys have lost three consecutive games across all competitions and O’Neill hinted that he will consider his future at the club over the international break following the club’s 1-0 defeat to Rangers on 20 September.
O’Neill is currently expected to remain in post for Celtic’s next league fixture versus Motherwell on 11 October, although his long-term future at the club remains in doubt and it’s unclear whether he will choose to resign if results don’t improve soon.
The likes of Neil Lennon, Kieran McKenna, Eddie Howe and Roy Keane have all been tipped as possible replacements for O’Neill, although Begovic believes that Celtic should hand the keys to Dyche, who has been out of work since being sacked by Nottingham Forest last season.
“I have a lot of respect for Sean Dyche and always enjoyed working with him,” Begovic told Hajper (via The Celtic Bhoys).
“His staff are brilliant, they are no-nonsense and very direct. You know exactly what to expect, put the work in and you’ll get your rewards.
“I really respect those people, and he would be a great manager for Celtic. He would tidy up any mess and ensure the players are on the same page, fit, and working hard.
“The fan bases can really relate to that, so I hope it happens. He deserves that sort of opportunity after everything he has achieved. We’ll see what happens, he might have to tone down some of the social media stuff, but I would love to see him up there.”
Roy Keane to Celtic?
An alternative option to Dyche would be the aforementioned Keane, who has hinted that he would like to return to management for the first time since being sacked by Ipswich Town in 2011.
Asked if he would be tempted to return to management following years as a pundit, Keane told Micah Richards on Sky Sports: “Strange enough, at weekends when I’m watching games, there are teams I watch and you go, ‘I think I could go in there and do a job’.
“But it’s mostly at weekends. It’s not through the week. It’s not Monday morning when I’m having my scrambled egg at the local cafe, just having a paper. Yeah, all these managers driving up and down the motorways and stresses.
“But yeah, I do. I think there’s always something there. The pilot light is still on for something.”
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