Hugh Keevins Makes Dermot Desmond Claim

Hugh Keevins has urged Dermot Desmond to take a more visible role at Celtic amid growing unrest around the club.

The veteran pundit says the majority shareholder cannot remain distant while serious issues unfold both on and off the pitch.

Celtic’s Champions League exit to Kairat Almaty and the subsequent fallout has left Brendan Rodgers and the board facing mounting scrutiny. Protests are planned, questions are being asked of the hierarchy, and Keevins believes Desmond’s silence is no longer an option.

Rodgers himself recently hit out at a briefing against him in the press, calling it a “cowardly act” and demanding accountability from those responsible. Keevins insists such a situation cannot be allowed to fester without strong leadership at the very top.

While acknowledging the role Desmond has played in Celtic’s modern success, Keevins argues that the time has come for the Irish billionaire to front up and address supporters directly.

He said: (Clyde 1 Superscoreboard), “Dermot is always referred to as an absentee landlord, and he doesn’t come here very often. It was normally on Champions League nights, and there are none of those to come.

“You can’t have this situation where the manager is being briefed against in a newspaper, where the manager comes out and says it was a cowardly act and whoever did it should resign, and supporters are arranging demonstrations at Rugby Park.

“Dermot Desmond has been wonderful for Celtic, for 13 years he put money into the club and been wildly successful. But there are a lot of things going on at the moment that are deeply unsatisfactory.

“And I don’t think it would be beyond imagination for Dermot Desmond to come here and take a lead and speak to the fans.”

Keevins’ comments echo the frustration among supporters who feel the board has been slow to respond to criticism and uncertainty. The lack of Champions League football has only added to the sense of drift, with the club now relying on the Europa League to steady the campaign.

The situation has become more volatile following Rodgers’ public comments about internal leaks, a flashpoint that has deepened mistrust between the dugout and sections of the hierarchy. Keevins argues that leadership is required to prevent divisions from widening further.

Desmond has long been seen as a hands-off figure at Celtic Park, but Keevins is clear that this is a moment where presence and communication matter. With fan protests set to continue, silence could risk inflaming the situation further.

For Keevins, the message is simple: the man at the top needs to front up, face the supporters, and show that Celtic has direction during one of the most difficult spells of recent years.