Oscar Garcia
Oscar Garcia
A left-field prospect, the former Barcelona midfielder could offer the sort of European background that may prove appealing to the Celtic board. Out of work after leaving Brighton and Hove Albion after a season in charge, the Spaniard has prior experience of working within the youth ranks at Camp Nou before spending a year with Maccabi Tel Aviv, leading the Israelis to their first title in a decade. The 41 year-old has been linked with the Southampton post should fellow Spaniard Mauricio Pochettino move on to Tottenham Hotspur, but is also thought to feature on Celtic's shortlist.
Henrik Larsson
There were bets placed on the Swede even before it was announced that Neil Lennon would be leaving and he remains among the favourites for the role. His status as one of the club's finest players will earn him the instant goodwill of the supporters, even if his managerial experience is limited. His first coaching role with Landskrona in the Swedish second tier was a disappointment, the club failing to win promotion in three attempts leading to Larsson's resignation. He took over newly-promoted Falkenbergs last December and has guided them to 11th place after 10 games this season. Larsson has been typically enigmatic about the prospect of a return to Celtic as manager although has not ruled it out.
David Moyes
This time last year, the idea of David Moyes managing in Scotland would have seemed laughable. The Scot's star was in the ascendancy having been chosen as Sir Alex Ferguson's successor at Manchester United and he was expected to enjoy an extended spell in charge of one of the biggest clubs in the world. Now, though, the prospect of him pitching up at Celtic doesn't seem so daft. His brief time at Old Trafford bordered on the disastrous and it was little surprise when he was cut adrift towards the end of last season. One difficult campaign, however, doesn't suddenly make Moyes a bad manager, and prospect of a return to Celtic - where he was a player in the early 1980s - may hold some appeal.
Malky Mackay
Another Celtic old boy, Malky Mackay's success down south, combined with his availability, would seem to make him a viable candidate. He succeeded Brendan Rodgers at Watford, his work there in the Championship prompting Cardiff City to recruit him in 2011. He took the Welsh club to their first League Cup final - losing only on penalties to Liverpool - while the following year he guided them to the Premier League. A difficult working relationship with owner Vincent Tan earned him the sympathy of many, those feelings heightened when Mackay was sacked last December. He may now relish the chance to return home to take over a club he represented for five years in the mid-90s.
Steve Clarke
The former St Mirren defender confounded expectation when he was appointed West Bromwich Albion head coach in 2012. Seen by many simply as a No.2 after years serving managers such as Jose Mourinho, Ruud Gullit, Gianfranco Zola, and Kenny Dalglish, Clarke showed he can be his own man too when he took over at the Hawthorns. His first season was a roaring success as West Brom finished eighth in the table, their best placing since 1981. The second season was not as successful, and Clarke was let go in December with West Brom hovering close to the relegation zone. Said to be a Celtic fan, a move back north may prove appealing.
Owen Coyle
Coyle famously turned down the chance to manage Celtic before Tony Mowbray was appointed in 2009 because he wanted to keep working in the Premier League in England. Things have changed since then, though. The former Republic of Ireland player is out of work after leaving Wigan Athletic in December last year and would almost certainly be interested in the prospect of taking over at the club he supported as a boy, having had a clause inserted in his Wigan contract that would have allowed him to sign for Celtic if they approached him. Coyle's tenure at Wigan was brief and inglorious but his successes with St Johnstone, Burnley and Bolton Wanderers may make him desirable to Celtic.
Jackie McNamara
If prior service as a Celtic player lends weight to a candidate's claim to be the next manager, then Jackie McNamara is in a strong position. The full-back spent a decade at Parkhead, winning four league titles, three Scottish Cups and three League Cups before leaving under a cloud due to a contract wrangle. Providing that previous ill-feeling isn't an insurmountable stumbling block, McNamara would seem likely to feature on any shortlist. In his first managerial job he took Partick Thistle to the cusp of promotion back to the top division, before moving on to Dundee United where he has earned plaudits for creating a young, vibrant side who impressed many on their way to the Scottish Cup final.
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