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In the wake of Brendan Rodgers' exit as Celtic manager on Monday, several potential successors have surfaced as potential replacements for the former boss.

Celtic acted swiftly to appoint former manager Martin O'Neill as interim boss—two decades after his first stint in charge of the Glasgow club concluded.

Sunday's 3-1 defeat at table-toppers Hearts was Celtic's back-to-back Premiership loss, putting them eight points behind in second place, while they have secured only two victories of their previous seven matches across all competitions.

O'Neill, 73, has dismissed suggestions he could take up the job on a permanent basis—stating he is merely "holding the fort."

Several potential appointees have reportedly started to emerge for the role, among them some figures with close links to the club.

Kieran McKenna

Ipswich Town head coach Kieran McKenna has arisen as an appealing prospect to get Celtic back on a winning track.

However, insiders have indicated that Celtic could face a significant financial cost to secure the 39-year-old.

McKenna agreed to a new multi-year contract at Portman Road in the 2024 off-season, said to be worth approximately £5 million pounds per season.

Additionally, it is believed he has a significant release clause that Celtic may be required to meet if they choose to formalise their inquiry.

It is yet unclear whether McKenna is willing to leave English football to begin a new phase in Scotland—though sources have indicated the manager would be receptive to a move.

Ipswich are currently in the middle of the pack in the Championship after last season's drop from the Premier League.

McKenna was one of the contenders for the Brentford head coach job in the off-season following Thomas Frank's exit, but the role was filled internally by Keith Andrews.

The Former Celtic Boss

Ange Postecoglou is available again after a brief and unsuccessful stint at Nottingham Forest.

The Australian, who was dismissed by Tottenham at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, managed only 39 days at the City Ground and became the shortest-serving permanent Premier League manager.

Postecoglou did not secure a victory in any of his eight matches in charge of Forest, with two draws and six defeats across all competitions, but he is nonetheless revered by the Celtic fanbase and is free.

He spent a pair of campaigns in charge of Celtic between 2021 and 2023 and led the club to a clean sweep of Scottish trophies in his following campaign.

The Former Celtic Striker

Former forward Robbie Keane also qualifies as an additional candidate with close links to Celtic and someone who fully knows the club.

Keane scored 16 goals in 19 appearances for the Scottish powerhouse during a loan spell in 2010 and was named Celtic's Player of the Year for 2009-10.

The Republic of Ireland star hung up his boots in November 2018 after a brief period as playing coach at Indian Super League club ATK.

In 2023, Keane was appointed manager of Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv and led them to a domestic double last year.

He took over at Hungarian team Ferencvaros in January and claimed the championship during his inaugural season.

It is believed Keane would be open to the Celtic opening.

The Wales National Team Manager

Craig Bellamy took his first steps into management in 2024 with the Wales team and is also thought to have supporters at Celtic.

The former striker scored eight goals in 14 matches for the Scottish side during a temporary stay in 2005.

Bellamy has overseen 14 games with Wales—winning six, drawing four, and losing four—and is said to be committed to the role.

Wales are in third place in their qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup and guaranteed at least a playoff spot, so persuading him away from the Welsh team could be challenging.

Martin O'Neill

Martin O'Neill spent five years in charge of Celtic between 2000 and 2005—securing seven honors, including three Premiership titles.

The Northern Irishman's last position in the managerial seat was with Nottingham Forest. He succeeded Aitor Karanka in January 2019 with the club ninth in the Championship and was dismissed at the conclusion of the season with Forest sitting in the same spot.

Speaking on Tuesday, O'Neill stated, "I can't emphasise this enough, this is temporary, until a permanent manager is appointed."

O'Neill's initial challenge comes on Wednesday when Celtic host sixth-placed Falkirk at 7:45 PM GMT.