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Following Brendan Rodgers' resignation as Celtic head coach on Monday, multiple candidates have come to light as possible replacements for the Northern Irishman.

Celtic moved quickly to name former manager Martin O'Neill as temporary boss—two decades after his initial spell in charge of the Scottish club concluded.

Sunday's 3-1 loss at league leaders Hearts was Celtic's back-to-back Premiership loss, leaving them eight points behind in second place, while they have secured only two victories of their last seven matches in all competitions.

O'Neill, 73, has dismissed speculation he could assume the job on a permanent basis—insisting he is merely "holding the fort."

Multiple candidates have reportedly started to emerge for the position, including some names with strong links to Parkhead.

Kieran McKenna

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has emerged as an appealing prospect to get Celtic back on a winning footing.

However, insiders have indicated that Celtic could encounter a substantial financial bill to secure the 39-year-old.

McKenna signed a new four-year contract at Ipswich in the 2024 off-season, said to be worth around £5 million per year.

Furthermore, it is believed he has a significant buyout clause that Celtic may be obliged to meet if they choose to formalise their interest.

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

Ipswich are currently mid-table in the Championship following last season's drop from the Premier League.

McKenna was one of the candidates for the Brentford head coach job in the summer after Thomas Frank's exit, but the role was filled from within 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 end of the 2024-25 season, managed only 39 days at the City Ground and became the shortest-serving permanent Premier League manager.

Postecoglou failed to win in any of his eight matches in charge of Forest, with two draws and six losses in all competitions, but he is still highly regarded by the Celtic fanbase and is available.

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 second campaign.

The Former Celtic Striker

Former striker Robbie Keane also qualifies as another candidate with strong links to Celtic and someone who completely understands the club.

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

The Republic of Ireland star retired in November 2018 after a brief stint as player-manager at Indian Super League club ATK.

In 2023, Keane was named manager of Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv and guided them to a league and cup double last year.

He took over at Hungarian team Ferencvaros in January and won the league title during his first season.

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

Craig Bellamy

Craig Bellamy took his first steps into management in 2024 with the Wales national side and is also thought to have admirers 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—securing six victories, tying four, and losing four—and is reportedly committed to the position.

Wales are third in their qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup and guaranteed at least a playoff spot, so luring him away from the national side could be difficult.

Martin O'Neill

Martin O'Neill spent half a decade in charge of Celtic between 2000 and 2005—winning seven honors, among them three Premiership titles.

The Northern Irishman's most recent role in the dugout was with Nottingham Forest. He replaced Aitor Karanka in January 2019 with the club in ninth place in the Championship and was dismissed at the end of the season with Forest sitting in the identical position.

Speaking on Tuesday, O'Neill said, "I can't emphasise this enough, this is temporary, until a full-time manager is selected."

O'Neill's first assignment comes on Wednesday when Celtic welcome sixth-placed Falkirk at 7:45 PM GMT.