Robbie Keane claim offers fresh insight into a pivotal Celtic decision

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A new report has claimed Robbie Keane was still being earmarked as a future Celtic manager after talks with key figures at the club.

While the report is intriguing, it also serves as a reminder that many Celtic supporters actively opposed the prospect of Keane taking charge.

Losing a one-horse league title race in Hungary did not impress many Celtic supporters.

Keane’s managerial reputation has improved in recent years, but that should not rewrite the reality of how many Celtic fans viewed him as the managerial prospect.

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Robbie Keane was always going to split Celtic fan opinion

According to the Sunday World, Keane held talks with Celtic after leaving Ferencvaros and also discussed a long-term vision with Dermot Desmond.

That suggests Celtic’s interest went beyond the usual managerial speculation that surrounds the club. However, serious interest and widespread support are two very different things.

Many supporters were unconvinced by Keane’s managerial credentials whenever his name was linked with the Celtic job.

While his status as a former player ensured he would receive respect, there was a feeling among sections of the fanbase that Celtic should be aiming for a more proven candidate.

Celtic ultimately made the sensible call

The report claims Keane remained under consideration as a future Celtic manager, and there is no doubt his CV has become stronger since then.

His spell at Ferencvaros ended after he won the Hungarian Cup, which slightly lifted the gloom of the league title failure.

Even so, hindsight should not be used to dismiss the reservations supporters had at the time. Taking aside the political aspect of Keane to Celtic, hiring a manager with no experience of taking on a club the size of Celtic, especially with a massive summer rebuild needing to be done, was a huge risk.

That is why the most interesting takeaway from this latest report is not that Keane was considered. It is that Celtic ultimately avoided making an appointment that would have divided opinion across the support.

Looking back, Celtic supporters were justified in having reservations. Keane may yet prove himself at a higher level, but asking him to oversee one of the biggest rebuilds in the club’s recent history would have been a gamble many fans simply were not prepared to take.