Kieran McKenna is under consideration for the vacant position at Scottish treble winners Celtic as they prepare for life past Postecoglou, according to The Daily Record.
Celtic’s Australian treble-winning boss Postecoglou quit this week to take over at Premier League Tottenham Hotspur, leaving the hierarchy at the club with a big void to fill as they look to continue their dominant position at the top of Scottish football, as the 57-year-old leaves shortly before reaching two years with the club.
The Bhoys are one of only five teams in the world to have won over 100 trophies throughout their existence, with their greatest successes coming in the 1960’s as they became the first British team to win the European Cup and enjoyed nine consecutive league titles under the guidance of Jock Stein.
Their dominance at the top of Scottish football has been rivalled only by Rangers, who for some time were absent from the top division in Scotland as they were relegated to the bottom of the pyramid following their financial turmoil. Rangers would return in 2016 as Mark Warburton led their return to the top flight from the Championship.
Rangers would still struggle to keep up with their rivals until they won the league in the 2020/21 season under Englishman Steven Gerrard, who would ultimately depart for Premier League Aston Villa, ending the Hoop’s run of nine successive league titles, matching their run in the ’60s.
Following Postecoglou’s departure for Tottenham Hotspur, his assistant coaches John Kennedy and Gavin Strachan have also departed the club and they will consider all options as they take applications for the Australian’s replacement. While McKenna’s name has been mentioned to take over at Parched, he is not believed to be the favourite as several names are on the list, which includes a potential reunion with Brendan Rodgers, however, this is an appointment that looks unlikely.
It is believed that Enzo Maresca is on the radar of the board at Celtic and is thought to be the first choice, however, they face competition with recently relegated Leicester City set to contest any potential move for the Manchester City assistant. Sources claim that the Italian is keen to step back into the forefront of management with nothing likely to be concluded before the Cityzen’s Champions League final fixture this weekend.
One factor that has put McKenna into consideration for the position with the Scottish giants is the style of football he plays, which is similar to the football played at Celtic by Postecoglou. The 37-year-old took over the Tractor Boys in December 2021 and in his first full season as manager led the side to promotion back to the Championship, as they achieved some remarkable feats which included a run of two months without conceding and breaking the 100 goals scored mark, falling short of also achieving 100 points, a landmark only achieved by Manchester City.
Writer’s View
McKenna has achieved success in a short time as manager but you would believe he has more to come and he would like to continue that with Ipswich Town after a remarkable promotion-winning season. He has spoken of his desire to take Ipswich to the Premier League previously and it is something he could certainly achieve if his style of football can prove as successful in the Championship. With that being said, Champions League football could be something that lured him to Celtic if they were to make an approach, but for now, the project at Ipswich looks to be the best option for the 37-year-old.
