Neil Lennon resigned from his position as Celtic manager last night, with the club now 18-points behind Rangers in the Scottish Premiership table.
Lennon’s departure has been a season in the making. He’s finally left the club and much to the pleasure of fans, with the names of his potential successors already circulating in the media.
One name who’s long been linked with replacing Lennon at Celtic is former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe – he left the Cherries after their relegation into the Championship last summer, and has been out of work since.
TalkSPORT’s Jim White has since outed the ‘three names in the frame’ to take over at Celtic but surprisingly, Howe isn’t one of them:
So Neil Lennon parts company with @CelticFC – Clarke, Benitez, Martinez three names in the frame.
Reaction from John Hartson on @talkSPORT from 10.— Jim White (@JimWhite) February 24, 2021
On White’s list is Steve Clarke, Rafa Benitez and Roberto Martinez. A lot of bookmakers will have Howe on their list to replace Lennon but White’s update suggests that Howe isn’t actually in the frame.
The Englishman has been waiting all season to find the perfect opportunity. He seems keen on a return to football and Celtic looked to be the perfect opening for the 43-year-old, who’s also been linked with the Crystal Palace job.
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But Howe could be forced to wait even longer to find his next permanent home – his former side Bournemouth have endured a torrid time of late having parted ways with Howe’s successor, and former no.2 Jason Tindall earlier in the month.
Jonathan Woodgate stepped in as caretaker manager but has now landed the interim job until the end of the season, proving a contested decision among fans.
