Brendan Rodgers odds-on favourite to be Celtic manager as betting suspended amid ‘face-to-face’ talks over shock return

Brendan Rodgers could be in line for a sensational return to Celtic after club officials reportedly held initial face-to-face talks with the Northern Irishman at his holiday home in Mallorca over the weekend.

Several betting firms have suspended trading on Celtic’s next permanent manager after chief executive Michael Nicholson and finance director Chris McKay travelled by private jet to the Spanish island on Saturday to discuss in person with the former Hoops about a second stint at Parkhead.

Ange Postecoglou, who enjoyed two highly successful seasons in Glasgow’s East End and ended his tenure by winning the Treble with victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Cup at Hampden last month, has vacated the Celtic hot seat after moving to Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur.

Celtic are now planning for life without the Australian boss and Rodgers appears to be the front-runner to succeed the 57-year-old after a very successful first stint of his own at the club. It is believed he still retains the support of major shareholder Dermot Desmond despite his sudden exit for Leicester City in the summer of 2019.

Rodgers planned on taking a sabbatical from football after he was dismissed by the Foxes earlier this year, but GlasgowWorld understands that a potential return to Celtic could be enough to persuade long-serving assistant manager John Kennedy to stay on in his No.2 role at the club.

Postecoglou is eager to take Kennedy - as well as first-team coach Gavin Strachan and video analyst Greg Wallace - with him to North London after agreeing a four-year-deal with Spurs last week, but Celtic hierarchy are reluctant to let the 39-year-old leave.

Fresh discussions will be held with Rodgers in the coming days as he weighs up a potential offer to return. Speaking previously about the prospects of a possible return to Celtic in the future, Rodgers said: “The club were keen to bring me in and they were in a moment where Rangers were close - they were getting promoted - and I went in and created hopefully a really good base.

“That challenge may come again because it was a real challenge to go in and that challenge may come in the future and I would have absolutely no hesitation going back. Incredible club but likely everything in life it’s just about timing. Whether I would be recieved back or not is a different story. But would I go back to Celtic? Absolutely.”

Next permanent Celtic boss:

• Brendan Rodgers - 1/5
• Enzo Maresca - 7/2
• Daniel Farke - 16/1
• Francesco Farioli - 18/1
• Des Buckingham - 20/1
• Jesse Marsch - 20/1
• Kjetil Knutsen - 20/1
• Kevin Muscat - 22/1
• David Moyes - 33/1

William Hill spokesperson, Lee Phelps, commented: “Brendan Rodgers looks to us to be the most likely candidate for the vacant Celtic job at 1/5, having been out of work since his sacking by Leicester in April, and with winning experience at the club we think the fans will be more than happy.

“Pep Guardiola’s assistant Enzo Maresca looks to be the other live candidate at 7/2, while Daniel Farke is third in the running, with the former Norwich manager 16/1 to take over at Celtic Park.”