It’s been impressive to see the sheer number of names who were linked with the Celtic job when Neil Lennon left, but the stories about Roy Keane just wouldn’t go away.
The interesting thing about those links were that he was continually talked up be ex teammates or colleagues in the media, but there was never any real sign that Celtic were keen on him.
It was an obvious connection to make because of his brief time at the club, while it’s also strange to think he’s somehow improved his reputation by being a pundit rather than a manager in recent years.
He’s the type of character who would probably be a good assistant, but he’s proven too many times that he can’t deal with players in the modern game and it would quickly turn into a disaster after the initial honeymoon period ended.
It might be an overly simplistic explanation, but it’s often said that some great players just don’t make good managers because they can’t fathom that their squad don’t have the same talent or mindset as they did.
Keane’s mindset and approach to the game is ultra-rare and he’s not going to find many players who share that personality, and it would explain why he kept losing the dressing room in previous jobs.
A report has now stated that Keane has told his friends that he thinks any chance he has at the Celtic job has now gone, so it should be safe to rule him out of the running for now.
The main candidate still appears to be Eddie Howe but speculation will continue until something is actually announced, but the prospect of Keane wasn’t filling anyone with confidence so this has to be seen as good news.
