Peter Leven addresses Jonny Hayes’ Celtic link to key backroom position

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Whilst Celtic still have a lot of work to do in the title race, it seems that Brendan Rodgers is still planning ahead for next season.

As well as needing to find players for the Celtic first-team, Rodgers must also fill a key backroom position that has been lying vacant since the beginning of the year.

Promoting Darren O’Dea to the role of Professional Player Pathway Manager has highlighted the need to strengthen the u18’s manager role at Celtic.

The position was vacated by Steve McLaren in January and Celtic have yet to fill the role despite former Celtic favourites Charlie Mulgrew and Jonny Hayes being linked.

Peter Leven will ‘support’ Hayes’ Celtic decision

Whilst Hayes hasn’t yet commented on the link to Celtic, his manager Peter Leven has as the Aberdeen stand-in boss addresses the reports that his player/coach could be in the frame for a Parkhead return.

Leven said [Daily Record], “There is only myself and Scott Anderson now, who is still doing the 18s. They have games and also the Youth Cup Final, so we are stretched in that just now and Jonny is helping out.

“I don’t know what he is going to do after that. Jonny will play when I need him and he is still there.

“We are a little bit stretched for coaches, which is why we are all chipping in. Scott and Jonny are helping out.

“Jonny has opened that door by coaching the Under-16s here.

“I have seen him put on a couple of sessions and he’s a decent coach.

“What Jonny wants to do, we will support him.”

Hayes is a qualified UEFA A Licence coach and is also an SFA Advanced Children’s Coach. [LinkedIn]

As stated above, the Irishman also has experience of coaching in Aberdeen’s Academy and it seems that Celtic could see him as the ideal candidate for the role.

It is a position that Celtic clearly need to fill as they look at ways of developing the young and emerging talent from the Celtic Academy into stars of the future.