Former Hibs boss declared an ideal next Celtic manager candidate as another ex-Hibee wows Hoops
The former Hibs boss has been touted as a possible next Celtic manager candidate.
A former Hibs boss has been touted as a great choice to become the next Celtic manager - and he could work with another ex-Easter Road gaffer as his sporting director.
Martin O'Neill guided the Hoops to a Premiership and Scottish Cup double but whether he remains on as manager, aged 74, remains to be seen. Plenty of names have been touted but one person Chris Waddle thinks should be viewed for the vacancy is former Hibs boss Paul Heckingbottom. He arrived in Leith during early 2019 after spells at Barnsley and Leeds United, but after an initially strong impact, form tailed off. Heckingbottom was sacked later that year.
He’d go into the youth ranks at Sheffield United and has since rebuilt his stock, guiding the Blades to the Premier League after becoming their gaffer, and has kept Preston North End competitive in the English Championship most recently. Ex-England star Waddle reckons his work with modest means could see the former Hibs boss thrive as a bigger fish back in Scotland.
What former Hibs boss could become Celtic manager?
Waddle told Boyle Sports: “I think Paul Heckingbottom is a very good manager, a very good coach and a very good fit for Celtic. I think he’s very underrated. He’s done a great job at Preston North End working with a really small budget. He gets good loans in, and the way he plays gets the most out of his players.
“If he could bring in three or four good players he could take Preston into the playoffs quite easily but will he be allowed to do that? I think he’ll eventually end up getting the sack because the club will think we're not going anywhere but you can only go as far as your budget allows and let's be honest, Preston's budget is not massive.
“There’ll be a lot of clubs watching how things develop. He's done a good job at Preston and there'll be other clubs interested. Celtic should be looking at him because he works with a small budget, gets good players in and gets the most out of his squad. I think he plays nice football too.
Could a former Hibs boss become Celtic sporting director?
“Preston are well-organised, well-drilled and he's an open-minded coach. I think he could do well at a bigger club but I'm not saying he should leave Preston. Preston just need to let him bring in three or four really good players for that level and I think they would be a team that makes it into the playoffs next season.”
Meanwhile, former Hibs boss Shaun Maloney could become Celtic’s new sporting director. He had an ill-fated spell as Easter Road gaffer that lasted mere months, but has impressed as Wigan boss, and now behind the scenes in Glasgow. Maloney has been O’Neill’s assistant but was player-pathway manager beforehand and moving upstairs is again being eyed.
It’s claimed in the Daily Record: “Shaun Maloney is under serious consideration for a sporting director role at double-winning Celtic. The interim assistant head coach played a big part in the Hoops winning the Premiership and Scottish Cup under Martin O’Neill. The former Celtic player has also been keen to take a more off-the-field role since he left his position as head coach of Wigan Athletic last year.”
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