Russell Boyce has been speaking on the latest edition of the A Celtic State of Mind podcast about potential replacements for Neil Lennon after an intense build-up of pressure on his job this season.
Earlier in the season, there were protests outside of Celtic Park as many Bhoys fans demanded that Lennon be sacked, but the board stuck by him, and here we are in January 2021 and Celtic are 21 points off the top of table.
There have been unsubstantiated rumours that Lennon is going to be sacked and replaced and this led to a long discussion on potential replacements for him.
One man who was mentioned and has been linked with the job at Celtic Park in the past is Rafael Benitez, the former Liverpool and Newcastle United manager who is currently working in China.
Boyce thinks that out of all the candidates Benitez is the standout option and that Celtic should at least try to bring Benitez to Scotland.
He said: “I think the Rafa Benitez one I have spoken about before, I don’t think there is anything wrong with trying to make an approach there.
“He stands out like a sore thumb from that list.”
Do you think Benitez would take the Celtic job?
No, not a chance
Yes, he could do
TIF Thoughts on Celtic approaching Benitez…
The 60-year-old has won trophies pretty much everywhere he has been, so you would think that if he decided to move to Glasgow, he would have a good chance of winning Celtic some silverware.
He has also had success in the Champions League, so he could also help the Bhoys achieve something in that competition.
However, the word in the past has been that the Spaniard wants to return to England to manage in the Premier League, so if that is still true, we can’t see him deciding to take the Celtic job anytime soon.
So, we will just have to wait and see if these rumours about Lennon are true or not, but if he is sacked, we would be surprised if Benitez replaced him.