Robbie Keane Contender for Preston North End Job

Robbie Keane is back in the frame for a return to the dugout – and this time the spotlight has swung to Deepdale.

The former Celtic striker has emerged as a contender for the vacant Preston North End job, with journalist Alan Nixon reporting that the 46-year-old is under serious consideration following Paul Heckingbottom’s departure.

Just a few months ago, Keane’s name was being pushed hard around Parkhead. He held talks over a return to Celtic in a managerial capacity and was heavily linked with the role before Martin O’Neill ultimately landed the job on a permanent basis. The Irishman had been discussed as a possible successor to O’Neill after his interim spell, but that proposed move stalled and never got over the line.

Now the door in England may be opening instead.

Keane’s candidacy at Preston is not coming out of nowhere. He already shares a strong connection with North End chairman Peter Ridsdale from their time together at Leeds United during Keane’s playing days. That relationship could prove significant as Preston weigh up their options.

Ridsdale also has deep ties with O’Neill. The Celtic manager and coach Mark Fotheringham visited Deepdale earlier this year, and Ridsdale’s link with O’Neill stretches back more than 20 years. In 2003, Ridsdale went as far as offering O’Neill the Leeds job, with the Irishman even signing a “statement of intent” over a potential move to Elland Road at a time when his future at Parkhead was uncertain.

While O’Neill eventually stayed on his current path, Keane has been out of work since the end of last season. His last role was at Ferencvaros, where he missed out on the Hungarian title to ETO FC Gyori, a result that ended the Budapest club’s seven-year reign as champions. Ferencvaros then turned to Balazs Borbely, the coach who had just led Gyori to that title and has since taken charge of the Budapest side.

Keane’s links with Celtic earlier this year surprised nobody. He enjoyed a previous spell as a player at Parkhead and maintains a strong relationship with the club’s principal shareholder, Dermot Desmond. He has not spoken publicly about the talks that took place before O’Neill was confirmed as manager, keeping his side of that story firmly in-house.

Preston, though, could change the narrative. A move to Deepdale would hand Keane his first crack at management in the English Championship – a fresh stage, a demanding league, and a chance to show whether his next big step comes in Lancashire rather than Glasgow.