Burnley are reportedly advancing in their move to hire Nicky Hayen as manager.
That’s after their move to hire Craig Bellamy collapsed at the eleventh-hour, leaving them in a late scramble to hire a new boss following their relegation to the Championship.
Hayen directly addressed his links to Celtic back in December, refusing to rule out a switch to Glasgow before the club eventually hired Wilfried Nancy.
The Belgian ended up leaving Club Brugge and joining Genk shortly later, but he now looks set for a return to the UK.
Would you have taken Nicky Hayen as Celtic manager?
Burnley advance for Nicky Hayen
According to Pete O’Rourke, Burnley are advancing in talks to name the Genk boss as their new manager.
He is now the overwhelming favourite to succeed Scott Parker as the boss at Turf Moor.
READ MORE: Kjetil Knutsen leapfrogs Wilfried Nancy in Strasbourg race amid ‘advanced talks’
Hayen faced Celtic with Club Brugge in 2024, drawing 1-1 at Parkhead. That season, he took his side to the round of 16 in the Champions League.
Brendan Rodgers-style, Hayen resigned from Club Brugge in December due to not being satisfied with the squad at his disposal.
Upon joining Genk, he was unable to secure a top-six finish, winning 13 of his 28 games in charge of the Flanders club.
Beginning his managerial career lower down the Belgian pyramid, Hayen managed seven clubs in eight years before making the surprise move to the Cymru Premier in Wales where he coached Haverfordwest County.
Brugge brought him back to Belgium to manage their under-23 side, and when Ronny Deila was sacked, Hayen helped the team return to form, earning the permanent role.
He won the Belgian Pro League title after just months in the job, but was unable to defend it in his first full season, losing out to Union Saint-Gilloise.
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Nicky Hayen when asked about Celtic links
Hayen’s response to being questioned about his links to Celtic aged like milk.
Just a month before leaving the club, he said: “I’ve said before that I know I’m on lists, although I don’t know which ones.
“As long as nothing is concrete, I don’t need to know about it. I’m happy here and I want to work hard to win the 20th national title. That’s still my goal.
“Never say never in football, but I’m happy here. As long as you have mutual trust between the club and me, there’s nothing wrong.”
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