Next Celtic Manager: Keane snub brings Clarke in focus

Steve Clarke has spent most of his career at demanding clubs

Roy Keane's removal from the Celtic search has made Steve Clarke favourite, and strengthened Paul Lambert's hand at Aston Villa...

Steve Clarke and Paul Lambert are the two managers who stand to profit most from Roy Keane's surprise decision to withdraw from contention for the Celtic job.

Clarke, who this column flagged up as the most attractive option at the Bhoys disposal shortly after Neil Lennon's departure at 8.4, is now the 3.55/2 frontrunner to take over at Parkhead.

Though Celtic have only actually gone Scottish with one of their last four appointments, that is because a lot of the home-grown possibilities either lack the requisite big-club experience or have glaring ties to Rangers.

Those accusations could never be thrown at Clarke, who was an assistant manager at Chelsea and Liverpool before an encouraging first try at being in charge at West Brom, and spent his entire five years playing north of the border with St Mirren. There are even rumours he is a Celtic fan.

Alternatives to Clarke aren't quite as enticing. Second favourite Owen Coyle 4.57/2 was sacked from his last two jobs at Bolton and Wigan, and 4.84/1 hopeful Malky Mackay, while a Championship winner with Cardiff, didn't create a positive enough impression upon arrival in the Premier League.

Keane's decision to cancel his candidacy was initially interpreted as a show of commitment to his role as Republic of Ireland assistant, but it has since been claimed that he is being sought by Aston Villa with a view to becoming Lambert's number two.

Sky Sports are reporting it as highly likely that he will be in place by the time that pre-season kicks in, a stance that his unexpected retreat from ITV's World Cup pundit team appears to support.

Whenever a former manager is brought in to assist an under-pressure boss, it is judged to be a negative for the incumbent, a sign that the club are manoeuvring a potential successor in position.

However, this feels like a promising development for Lambert, given the prior uncertainty that there would be any additions to squad or staff this summer before owner Randy Lerner had found a buyer. Indeed, the former Norwich tactician is 1.42/5 to still be at Villa Park on August 16.