Ronnie Charters has shared what he has heard about Celtic’s stance on Jens Berthel Askou.
Despite being the bookmakers’ favourite for the role, Askou never appeared to be under consideration by the club and completed a move to Toulouse last week.
The 43-year-old made Motherwell one of the most talked-about teams in Scotland by overachieving with a dominant brand of football atypical of the Lanarkshire club.
Many in the Parkhead support saw him as the ideal candidate to be Celtic’s next permanent manager, but according to Charters, this opinion wasn’t shared by the Parkhead hierarchy.
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Ronnie Charters: There was a ‘hint of a conversation’ between Jens Berthel Askou and Celtic
Charters said on the STV Radio Football Show: “Just to clear up, quickly: just because Jens Berthel Askou is in Toulouse doesn’t mean he didn’t want to speak to Celtic.
“I don’t think it’s that big of a stretch to say that the Motherwell manager would want to manage Celtic one day. It’s mad!
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“I’ve [been] told, in some way or another, there was a hint of a conversation between the two, and Celtic weren’t for having him.
“I just think, Toulouse were already in the picture, he’s on a lot of money in Toulouse. Not that he wouldn’t be at Celtic.
“But who Celtic go for now will define the next period of the Scottish football title race, because Rangers and Hearts…
“I think Hearts don’t challenge for the title [next season], but they’re going to be there or thereabouts. If Celtic get this wrong again… you just can’t afford to get this wrong.”
It was just five days after the end of the Scottish Premiership season when he was confirmed as the new manager of the Ligue 1 club from southern France.
Toulouse currently sit 10th in the French top-flight, and were guided into Europe by Carles Martinez Novell in 2023, when they defeated Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
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Robbie Keane and Craig Bellamy now Celtic frontrunners
You’d have to assume that if Martin O’Neill wants the permanent job, he gets it — but this scenario remains uncertain to happen.
In the event of a change, it looks to be a straight shootout between Robbie Keane and Craig Bellamy, two strikers who spent six successful months on loan at the club as players.
Keane left Ferencvaros on Friday after missing out on what would’ve been an eighth consecutive Hungarian league title, and would readily be available in theory.
Bellamy, on the other hand, is preparing for a double-header of international fixtures as manager of Wales.
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