Odds slashed on Roy Keane returning to management as Man Utd legend tipped for huge job

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has been backed for a shock return to football management.

Legendary Red Devils captain Keane hasn't had a managerial job since he left Ipswich Town in 2011, instead focusing his efforts on a handful of coaching roles and a career at the pinnacle of football punditry.

The extent of his desire to get back into management is unclear but his name is often linked with his former clubs, especially when one of those teams is considered to be in need of a stern voice in the dressing room and a disciplined leader to remind players of expected standards.

On Tuesday, Celtic put themselves in exactly that position. After a goalless draw at home against Kazakhstan's Kairat Almaty, Brendan Rodgers' men made the long journey east for another 0-0 in their two-legged Champions League play-off tie.

Kairat won 3-2 on penalties, dumping Celtic out of the Champions League. Celtic will play in this season's Europa League, for which the league stage draw will take place on Friday.

They're as dominant as ever domestically but Celtic's surprise exit in Europe is a reminder that they rarely have it their own way in the Champions League and are occasionally susceptible to getting scalped before the real thing begins.

When that happens, the manager tends to come under serious scrutiny on the basis that winning the Premiership as Celtic boss is easy and making a mark in the Champions League is the proper test.

According to AceOdds, former Sunderland and Ipswich gaffer Keane has had his odds of being the next Celtic manager slashed since Celtic's shoot-out defeat.

He has been backed into 12/1 overnight, the sixth-shortest odds ahead of the likes of Everton boss David Moyes, former Celtic manager Martin O'Neill, Jose Mourinho and ex-England manager Gareth Southgate.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers (Image: Getty)

Ex-Celtic captain Scott Brown, currently in charge at Ayr United, is at 6/1 along with Damien Duff, while Scotland manager Steve Clarke and Canada head coach Jesse Marsch are both at fives.

The favourite ahead of John Kennedy, Ange Postecoglou and Henrik Larsson is 5/4 shot Kjetil Knudsen, the Norwegian manager of Bodø/Glimt, who won their own play-off against Sturm Graz to secure a historic qualification for the league phase.

For now, the smart money isn't on a replacement at all.

While Neil Lennon, Ronny Deila and Gordon Strachan have all been left in weak positions after missing out in Europe, Rodgers should be able to ride this one out if Celtic's title defence in Scotland is twinned with a solid Europa League campaign.