FORMER Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe and Scotland manager Steve Clarke have emerged as early favourites to replace Neil Lennon as Celtic manager.
The Northern Irishman sensationally quit as Hoops boss on Tuesday after a disastrous season in charge.
Eddie Howe is one of the favourites to replace Neil Lennon as Celtic bossCredit: PA:Press Association
Steve Clarke is also one of the early favourites to take over at ParkheadCredit: PA:Press Association
Lennon’s second spell as Celtic boss has now ended – with No2 John Kennedy put in interim charge until a permanent replacement is announced.
Howe and Clarke are the early front-runners for the Parkhead job.
Ex-Chelsea star Dan Petrescu, former Huddersfield boss David Wagner and Granada chief Diego Martinez are also possibilities.
But Clarke is the bookies’ 6/4 favourite to replace him, despite Frank Lampard, Rafa Benitez and Roberto Martinez being linked.
Interim boss Kennedy took training yesterday with first-team coach Gavin Strachan.
And the duo will be in charge for Saturday’s Premiership home clash against Aberdeen.
The fallout from Celtic’s remarkable fall from grace has boiled and bubbled for weeks.
Fans clashed with police outside Celtic Park’s front door as they protested November’s Betfred Cup defeat to Ross County.
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Neil Lennon quit as Celtic boss on Tuesday in the midst of a disastrous seasonCredit: AFP or licensors
All the while, social media and radio phone-ins have been filled with demands for the manager to go.
The horror prospect now looms of bitter rivals Rangers winning their first league crown in a decade on Celtic’s home turf when they meet on March 21.
It ends a remarkable relationship between a fan base that once declared ‘We are all Neil Lennon’ in response to death threats aimed at the former Leicester midfielder.
Veteran skipper Scott Brown pulled no punches as he admitted his squad let their boss down on the pitch.
Brown said: “We’ve got to take responsibility.
“It’s a sad day to see him leave but it’s because we’ve not been playing as well as we can on the park.
“He always wanted Celtic to win week in, week out, whether he was manager or not.
“It’s not been a great season to go down in our history books, but it’s one that we’ve got to take on the chin.”
Neil Lennon QUITS as Celtic boss after crisis talks with Hoops 18 points behind Steven Gerrard’s Rangers
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
