Five potential Brendan Rodgers Celtic assistant candidates

The Northern Irishman won seven out of seven trophies during his first spell at the club between 2016-2019 before joining Leicester City.

And now reports have him as the favourite to take over the vacant role after Ange Postecoglou's recent departure to Spurs.

If the 50-year-old becomes Parkhead boss for the second time, then that begs the question of who will be alongside him in the dugout.

A report in the Scottish Sun claims that Rodgers' backroom staff will see him bring back Glen Driscoll, who he worked with during his first spell at the club, as head of performance and also analyst Jack Lyons.

Who his assistant boss will be, however, is less clear given the current state of things at Celtic and elsewhere.

Here we break down five potential candidates who could take over the No.2 position at Parkhead.

John Kennedy

He is probably the most obvious choice on this list, given he is currently at the club and has served in the role under the previous two managers.

Kennedy has plenty of experience in the position and has an inbuilt relationship with the current playing squad.

The former Hoops defender also served under Rodgers during his first spell in Glasgow, working as first-team coach for two-and-a-half years.

Despite the prior relationship between both men, it appears like Kennedy has his heart set on joining Postecoglou in North London.

The 39-year-old, along with Gavin Strachan and analysts Greg Wallace, is reportedly wanted by the Australian at Spurs.

Kennedy may feel he has achieved everything he can at Celtic, given he has now worked under three separate managers and also taken the reigns himself for a short period at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

When Rodgers left for Leicester City in 2019, he offered Kennedy a role in his set up which was quickly rejected by the ex-Hoops defender as he opted to remain at the club.

However, is the offer of working under Postecoglou in England more tempting for him than a reunion with Rodgers?

READ MORE: Rival fans' reaction to a Brendan Rodgers Celtic return speaks volumes

Chris Davies

The second most likely choice after Kennedy would be a return to the club for the Englishman.

He served as No.2 in the dugout during Rodgers' first spell after joining from Reading and also moved to work alongside the 50-year-old at Leicester City until they were dismissed last year.

Davies also worked with Rodgers at Swansea City and Liverpool as both clubs' head of opposition analysis.

While it may seem like an obvious fit, one thing that could stand in the way of this reunion could be the 38-year-old's desire to strike out on his own.

Davies is reportedly the leading candidate for the vacant managerial role at Swansea City.

Could this tempt him over a return to the Scottish Premiership as the second in command?

Scott Brown

It was reported recently that the Celtic hierarchy are keen to bring the former Hoops captain in to work with Rodgers.

Currently boss of Fleetwood Town in England's third tier, Brown has just completed his first season in management alongside ex-Rangers defender Steven Whittaker.

Both Brown and Rodgers enjoyed a successful working relationship last time as captain and manager, winning seven trophies together.

The former Scotland international has previously admitted that Rodgers revolutionised his career after arriving in Glasgow for the first time.

And last year he revealed what advice the Northern Irishman gave him ahead of entering management for the first time.

"At Celtic, Brendan told me if I’m ever going into a job, make sure the information flows properly," he said.

"Don’t send them too many messages. For me, someone saying to keep it simple was amazing.

"I was sat in the meetings thinking 'Right, Jesus — false full-backs, he comes up here, he goes up the line' and Brendan just says 'You go there, you move here'. It’s easy. 

"Football is hard enough without me reinventing the wheel. Make things clear. Some lads sit there after 15 minutes and think, 'f******* hell, is it time for me to get out now?'"

Whether Brown would want to leave a job in which he is in total control for a role as an assistant remains to be seen.

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Kolo Toure

The former defender was signed by Rodgers during his first spell and after a season playing under him, he transitioned to the Celtic coaching staff.

He remained there until his departure for Leicester City, where he served as part of the backroom staff before striking out on his own at Wigan Athletic last season.

His spell at the English Championship club was an unsuccessful one, though, as he lasted only 59 days in the role.

He did not win a game in nine attempts while in charge of the club and this poor run of form contributed to their eventual relegation to League One.

Toure may want a quick return to management but if not then he may be someone that Rodgers turns to.

Shaun Maloney

Potentially the outside shout on this list given there is not a lot of history between the two.

Maloney, of course, played for Celtic across two spells and is well aware of the demands at the club and he also served as a youth coach for a short time while Rodgers was at the club.

He, like Toure, has had a rough start to a career in management. After previously serving as an assistant to the Belgium national team under Roberto Martinez, Maloney became Hibernian boss during the 2021-22 campaign.

He only lasted three months in the role, though, as a poor run of form cost him his job.

After a spell out of the game, he took over the reins at Wigan earlier this year but was unable to save the team from relegation.

However, they did receive a points deduction due to financial issues and they were bottom of the table when Maloney joined.

The 40-year-old remains in charge of the club and like Brown, it could prove difficult to pry him away from a role in which he is full control.