Opinion: The One Man Who Should Return from Neil Lennon Era

A lot has been made of John Kennedy potentially staying on at the club. Fans who watched him be a surrogate for Neil Lennon last season believe the coach should move on and try and build his reputation away from the club. There’s some merit to that argument.

John Kennedy is a good coach, but he’s not a Celtic manager. If he stays on, it’s not the worst thing for Celtic but it makes it difficult for fans to move on from last season when some of the old guard linger. A change of scenery could be great for John and Celtic.

When we talk about coaches from the Neil Lennon era, there’s absolutely no doubt Damien Duff played an integral role behind the scenes for the Hoops. Speaking to various people around the club since Damien’s departure, I get the sense Celtic lost more than just a coach on the training field.

The players loved Damien and he became a middle man between the staff at Celtic and the players. The former winger built up a fantastic rapport with not just the first team but the kids.

When Damien announced he was leaving for family reasons, nobody could have envisioned what a loss he would be.

The Irishman’s departure coincided with a sharp downturn in the club’s fortunes – not that I’m pinning the massive capitulation on Damien for leaving but it was death by a thousand cuts and Damien’s departure was one of many things that contributed to a very poor season.

If there was a scenario where Damien could work for the club, where his family were with him, I’d jump at the chance to get the Irishman back.

He coaches in Ireland at the minute and was part of Stephen Kenny’s Ireland setup until Duff left his post citing differences with the Irish FA.

Ange should have final say on any of his staff, however, I’d certainly be pushing for a Duff return if I had the Australian’s ear.