CELTIC manager target Kieran McKenna could opt to offer a former Rangers star a role on his Hoops coaching team if he lands the Parkhead job.
The Ipswich boss, whose side currently sit 12th in the Championship table with a game in hand as they bid to return to the Premiership, has been facing the media this afternoon.
We told you in the hours after Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation from the Parkhead side – and Dermot Desmond’s incendiary statement which followed – how McKenna was a person of interest for the Celtic board.
He’s said to have many admirers in the Parkhead boardroom – even if it could cost a cool £5m to bring him and his backroom team north of the border.
And it’s a little known fact that McKenna has a former Ibrox hero in his backroom team – in the form of former winger Sone Aluko.
Aluko scored 12 goals in 21 appearances for the Gers during his one season in Glasgow under Ally McCoist, before departing the club after the Gers entered administration then liquidation.
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He’s currently one of THREE first team coaches under McKenna at Portman Road, with the others being Charlie Turnbull and Junior Stanislas.
Assistant Martyn Pert is a plausible choice to accompany him north of the border, although it’s worth mentioning that Celtic already have a sizeable backroom team and the Hoops under Desmond usually insist on continuity in the football department.
Ange Postecoglou initially arrived with no additional coaching staff, inheriting John Kennedy before adding his countryman Harry Kewell to the staff.
The Hoops at the moment have an interim team which includes Martin O’Neill, Shaun Maloney, Mark Fotheringham, Gavin Strachan, Stephen McManus and respected goalie coach Stevie Woods.
Grilled on whether he was a Celtic fan growing up, he refused to go into details but said “we all have different affinities with different clubs” and mentioned that the Hoops are a “really big club”.
Asked specifically ‘were they your club?’, McKenna said: “It’s a really big club, we all have our affinities.
“I don’t think everyone has to go around announcing what they are, the clubs that we support, the clubs we follow.
“But of course it’s a really big club. We’re in a really important stage of the season so I haven’t watched a lot of other football this week.
“I haven’t watched the Carabao Cup during the week or too much else apart from QPR’s games this season.”
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