Ange Postecoglou addresses John Kennedy Celtic exit speculation

By John McGinley

August 12, 2022

Ange Postecoglou was asked about the situation of John Kennedy today and the speculation linking him with the FC Midtjylland managerial job in Denmark.

Kennedy has been a long-serving coach at the Bhoys, even taking caretaker charge of the club following the exit of Neil Lennon.

He’s been linked with management jobs in the past, most notably Hibernian, and hasn’t hidden his ambition to one day be his own man in the dugout.

Reports in Denmark earlier this week suggested he was being considered for the Midtjylland role, although it doesn’t appear any talks have taken place.

Postecoglou was asked about it in his press conference today, which 67 Hail Hail attended. The Celtic manager said: “You’re best placed to ask John about that, not me. From my perspective, I don’t read the newspaper, so excuse me if I’m not up to speed with what the latest news is.

“He’s had a fantastic managerial journey so far in terms of gaining experience and knowledge. He’s worked with some fantastic managers.

“He’s built up his expertise through different areas of the game. He started off in the junior ranks, he’s done some scouting, and he’s tried to make sure he’s as well-rounded as he possibly can be.

“He’s no different to anyone else at this football club. If people identify him as someone who can help their organisation, then it’s up to the individuals to make those decisions.

“John is a really important part of what we do here, he’s an important part of my set-up, he leads a lot of the areas with respect to our football, so he’s a valuable asset to this club.”

Clearly you wouldn’t expect Postecoglou to stand in Kennedy’s way should he want to move on. The club are unlikely to either.

So it’ll be interesting to see what comes of the Midtjylland rumours and whether the former defender would be keen on eventually leaving Glasgow.

Managerial success elsewhere could help his long-term Celtic prospects too, if he harbours an ambition to take permanent control of the squad one day.

A situation to watch!

In other news, Reo Hatate will miss Celtic vs Kilmarnock.