Pat Nevin has touted the idea that Damien Duff could be a contender for the Celtic job, as questions continue to surround Brendan Rodgers’ future at the club beyond the end of the 2025/26 season…
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is seen during the pre-season friendly match between Celtic and Newcastle United at Celtic Park on July 19, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
The current Celtic boss’ deal is set to run out when the upcoming season concludes. Rodgers has won 11 trophies across his four and a half year spells in Glasgow but this campaign could well be his last.
Should he depart once his contract ends, Nevin believes Duff – who served on Celtic’s coaching staff during Neil Lennon’s second tenure – would be a candidate to succeed him.
Damien Duff, Celtic first team coach arrives at the stadium prior to the Scottish Cup quarter final match between Hibernian and Celtic at Easter Road on March 02, 2019.(Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
As reported by Glasgow Times, Nevin said: “It would work for Damien Duff. He played for the Republic of Ireland – a big link there with a lot of the Celtic fans as well.”
“Would they like a big name sometimes? They most probably would – Ange Postecoglou or someone? But when you give somebody a good chance at that level, they’ve done their years of coaching elsewhere, they’ve done the hard yards.”
SSE Airtricity League Premier Division, Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, Derry 1/11/2024 Derry City vs Shelbourne Shelbourne manager Damien Duff celebrates winning Damien Duff celebrates winning 1/11/2024 Photo INPHO/ Dan Sheridan
Nevin added: “And also you give them a good job, which is right. Here’s quite a lot of money in comparison to everybody else in your league. Here’s a good team as well. It must be a temptation.”
“But it won’t come down to the heart, it’ll come down to the head with Celtic. They’ll look around the world, and they’ll probably have quite a few more names. Because remember, Ange wasn’t in the top 10 in the betting when they brought him in.”
Damien Duff of Blackburn Rovers looks to go past Didier Agathe and Neil Lennon of Celtic during the UEFA Cup second round second leg match held on November 14, 2002 at Ewood Park, in Blackburn, England. Celtic won the match 2-0, winning the tie 3-0 on aggregate. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Duff recently stepped down as Shelbourne’s manager, even though he guided the club to last season’s Irish Premier Division title.
Duff was supposed to lead the Shels out against Linfield in the Champions League 1st qualifying round but made a swift exit after a string of underwhelming results in the league which put his side well adrift of top spot.
Peter Lawwell, Chairman of Celtic, Dermot Desmond, Non-Executive Director of Celtic, and Michael Nicholson, CEO of Celtic, are seen in attendance prior to the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and theRangers at Celtic Park on March 16, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Celtic supporters will be increasing concerned the longer the situation with Brendan Rodgers drags on. Dermot Desmond hopefully will be minded to make Brendan an offer he can’t possibly refuse – and that probably has more to do with transfer budgets and genuine European ambition more than his own personal salary expectations.
It would be a massive boost ahead of the new season kicking off at the start of next month if this was sorted. Get it done Dermot.
Conor Spence
Here’s Kieran Tierney speaking to The Celtic Star and a few other Celtic fan media sites…
Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter…
Thank you to everyone who has already pre-ordered the late David Potter’s last ever Celtic book, Celtic in the Eighties, which will be published on the fifth day of September by Celtic Star Books. The link to pre-order your copy is below…
Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter, out 5 September 2025. Available to pre-order now.
No thankyou.