Robbie Keane has met members of the Celtic board in London to discuss the vacant Parkhead job. The pitch is not only about him. It also includes a proposed staff built around Scott Brown, Jonny Hayes and Stephen Glass, with Stephen Glass already presented as a key link after serving as Keane’s assistant at Ferencvarosi TC.

Why Keane's staff matters

That detail changes the shape of the decision. A manager talk is one thing. A ready-made backroom group built around names Celtic supporters already know is another. It suggests Keane is trying to sell structure and trust as much as his own record.

Keane has also made clear what kind of football he wants. Speaking to BBC, he said: "I don't like my centre-backs keeping the ball for the sake of keeping the ball." That fits a more direct, forward-thinking approach, and it gives Celtic a clearer picture of how he wants the team to play.

There is still fan resistance around his name, and that matters in a job like this. But the football case is not thin, and the assistant-coach plan makes it stronger than a standard interview pitch.

Why O'Neill still stays in the frame

Martin O'Neill is not being brushed aside. His future remains open, and Celtic are still weighing whether to stay with the veteran who steadied the season or move to a younger candidate with a more defined staffing plan.

The numbers help explain why O'Neill remains a live option. Celtic finished top of the Premiership championship round on 82 points and arrive with five straight league wins. That is not a rescue mission anymore, which is part of why the board's choice carries so much weight.

Keane's own record gives him a case. Ferencvarosi TC finished 12th in the Europa League league phase with 15 points from eight matches, ahead of Celtic's 11-point return in the same competition. He won the title in his first season at Ferencvaros, and sources differ on whether his spell there lasted 16 or 17 months.

The decision now sits between a veteran who has already delivered for Celtic and a candidate trying to make his case with a pre-packaged staff. If Keane gets the nod, Brown, Hayes and Glass would be part of the story from the start.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →