Next Celtic manager candidate rockets into odds-on favourite as link to Parkhead chief emerges

The Columbus Crew head coach has seen his odds tumble with several bookmakers in the 48 hours since his team were knocked out of the MLS Play-offs, bringing an end to their 2025 season.

The major shift in the betting market comes amid reports that the 48-year-old Frenchman is on the Celtic shortlist to replace Brendan Rodgers, who resigned on October 27.

Nancy took his first steps into coaching as Thierry Henry's assistant at Montreal before taking over from his fellow countryman following his resignation in 2021, winning the Canadian Championship final in his first season.

He then joined Columbus Crew in the MLS, where has developed a glowing reputation by winning the MLS Cup in his first season in 2023 and the Leagues Cup the following year.

He also steered Columbus to the final of CONCACAF Champions Cup last season - the Central and North American equivalent of the UEFA Champions League - and was voted MLS Coach of the Year for 2024.

Nancy led Columbus into the MLS play-offs this season following a seventh-placed finish in the Eastern Conference but saw his side eliminated in the first round after a 2-1 defeat to FC Cincinnati on Saturday.

The result brought an abrupt end to Columbus' MLS campaign, potentially opening the door for Nancy to join Celtic over the current international break with his contract situation unknown after he signed an extension of unspecified length last year.

Nancy also has links to one of the key Parkhead power brokers through his assistant coach, Kwame Ampadu, who worked alongside the current Celtic head of football operations, Paul Tisdale, at Exeter City between 2008 and 2012.

Tisdale was manager of Exeter when Ampadu was a coach with the Under-18s and gave his son, Ethan Ampadu, his senior professional debut at the age of 15. The player now stars for Leeds United in the Premier League and has 57 caps for Wales.

Nancy has displaced Kjetil Knutsen as the bookies favourite for the Celtic job, with the Bodo/Glimt boss also understood to be under consideration, along with Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna.

Celtic currently have former boss Martin O’Neill back in charge as interim manager but the 73-year-old does not expect to be considered for the position on a permanent basis.

O’Neill has steered Celtic to three wins across four matches, including a Premier Sports Cup semi-final victory over Rangers, with the only blot coming in the 3-1 defeat away to Midtjylland in the Europa League.

The Northern Irishman admitted after the 4-0 win over Kilmarnock on Sunday that he is unsure whether he will remain in charge for Celtic’s next match at St Mirren on November 22.

He said: “I’m going to go into a darkened room and come out on Thursday and see has this really happened?

“I should imagine at some stage or another during the course of the next week that somebody will let me know what’s happening.”