Celtic interim boss John Kennedy has emerged as a candidate for the Hoops’ director of football vacancy.

That’s according to a report from The Scottish Sun, who claim that the Celtic hierarchy wants Kennedy to work closely with target Eddie Howe.

Howe remains on course to become Neil Lennon’s long-term successor this summer, and it seems as if Kennedy could end up working closely alongside the 43-year-old at Parkhead.

Manchester City’s Fergal Harkin is another man who has been linked with the DoF role, and he is still thought to be in contention for the position.

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Transfer Tavern take

To us, this comes as a shock. Kennedy, who likes to play a 4-4-2 formation, does have off-field experience at Celtic Park, but we’d have thought he could have been one of Howe’s assistants, not the new DoF.

Kennedy, who has recently denied the rumours, has worked as a scout for the Hoops previously and worked closely with Lennon during his first stint in charge of the club back in 2010, but it feels truly bizarre to think a fairly young and inexperienced assistant manager can make the absolutely huge step up to a DoF position, where the weight of expectation will be colossal.

Who knows, it may turn out to be a shrewd move by the Hoops, and it looks set to be a busy few months ahead of the 2021/22 season, but given Kennedy's limited experience in relation to the role and the strength of other candidates like Manchester City's Harkin, it would be shock move from the Hoops to go this route.

In other news: Premier League giants keeping tabs on Celtic starlet, find out more here