Celtic confirm Wilfried Nancy’s arrival from Columbus Crew as head coach

Celtic have appointed Wilfried Nancy, coach of Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer, as their new permanent manager to replace Brendan Rodgers, who was dismissed in October. He has signed a two-and-a-half year contract.

The Glasgow club are two points behind the Scottish Premiership leaders, Hearts, with a game in hand after winning all four of their league matches under Martin O’Neill. The interim manager also beat Rangers in a League Cup semi-final to set up a match at Hampden Park against St Mirren scheduled for 14 December and takes charge of the side for the final time tonight in the league encounter with Dundee at Celtic Park.

That gives Nancy an early chance to secure a trophy. He won the MLS Cup with Columbus Crew in 2023 and the Leagues Cup in 2024, when he was named MLS coach of the year. He also took the Crew to the Concacaf Champions Cup final last year.

Nancy said in a club statement: “I am so happy to be named Celtic manager, it is a massive honour for myself and my family. Before I say anything else I want to do one thing – I want to thank the great Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney for all they have done in recent weeks with the team. The job they have done has been fantastic.

“These guys have given so much to the club across so many years and I know our fans, like me, all recognise the brilliant job they have done during this recent period. They have my total respect and my total gratitude. I hope to meet them both very soon and thank them personally. Now its up to me to carry on this great work and carry our great club forward and I can’t wait to get going and become part of such a brilliant institution.”

Nancy was regarded as an outsider for the Celtic job when Rodgers resigned. However, the Frenchman fits the desired Celtic profile of an emerging coach who the Scottish champions believe can progress within their system and accept transfer policies. Nancy, who previously managed Montreal, took Columbus Crew to seventh in the MLS Eastern Conference this regular season. The Crew bowed out in round one of the MLS playoffs to FC Cincinnati.

Celtic’s principal shareholder, Dermot Desmond – who issued a scathing statement on Rodgers after his exit - had far warmer words for the new manager. “We believe we have brought a hugely talented manager to the club,” he said in a statement. “He is a man who absolutely understands the demands at Celtic, he is a man of real humility but also someone with his own ideas, his own vision and such a personal drive and desire to do well for the club and our supporters.

“Everyone at the club will unite strongly behind Wilfried as we move forward and we will ensure we will give him our unswerving support as we strive to achieve our objectives.”

Celtic chairman Peter Lawwell added: “We are really pleased to welcome Wilfried to Celtic. He is a Manager with a record which demonstrates the kind of football which we know Celtic supporters love to see. We will give Wilfried all our support as we look to once again bring success to our fans.”

When Rodgers left Celtic the club were eight points behind Hearts. Dermot Desmond, the club’s main – and normally publicity-shy – shareholder, spoke of what he described as “self-serving” behaviour by the former Liverpool coach.

O’Neill was in his second stint at Celtic after five years at the helm that started in 2000.