Wilfried Nancy’s “No.1 aim” as Celtic manager becomes clear after appointment confirmed

Celtic have announced the appointment of Wilfried Nancy as their new manager on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

The 48-year-old will officially begin his new role on Thursday, taking over from interim boss Martin O'Neill who is overseeing his final first-team match at home to Dundee in the Scottish Premiership this evening.

Nancy’s first game in charge of Celtic will be the blockbuster top-of-the-table Premiership showdown with Hearts at Celtic Park on Sunday, followed by the Europa League visit of Roma and the Scottish League Cup final against St Mirren the next week.

The Frenchman, who will be joined by assistant coach and former Arsenal youth boss Kwame Ampadu in Glasgow, told Celtic’s official website: "I am so happy to be named Celtic manager. It is a massive honour for myself and my family.

“Before I say anything else I want to do one thing – I want to thank the great Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney for all they have done in recent weeks with the team. The job they have done has been fantastic.

"These guys have given so much to the club across so many years and I know our fans, like me, all recognise the brilliant job they have done during this recent period. They have my total respect and my total gratitude. I hope to meet them both very soon and thank them personally.

 

 

 

 

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Nancy vows to bring "exciting, attacking, winning football" to Celtic

“Now it’s up to me to carry on this great work and carry our great club forward and I can’t wait to get going and become part of such a brilliant institution. Celtic is one of the world’s proper football clubs, real atmosphere and heart and soul, real high standards and real demands, which I am ready for.”

Nancy added: “I know the history, I know the values of Celtic and I know what is expected of me on this journey. I know what Celtic means to so many people and my No.1 aim will be simple - to give our fans a strong, exciting, attacking, winning football team they can be so proud of.

“I look forward to seeing all our fans very soon and I hope we can enjoy some great moments together.”

Celtic’s principal shareholder Dermot Desmond, who publicly criticised former manager Brendan Rodgers following his resignation in October, said: “In appointing Wilfried to Celtic, we believe we have brought a hugely talented manager to the club.

“He is a man who absolutely understands the demands at Celtic, he is a man of real humility but also someone with his own ideas, his own vision and such a personal drive and desire to do well for the club and our supporters.

“Everyone at the club will unite strongly behind Wilfried as we move forward and we will ensure we will give him our unswerving support as we strive to achieve our objectives.

“I want to add my heartfelt thanks to Martin for all he has done in recent weeks. He was the man we hoped could bring us through these last few weeks positively and together with Shaun and our other coaches and our players, they have done a wonderful job.

“I will always hold Martin in such high regard for what he has done for Celtic and for what he is as a man – a man of such professionalism and integrity and someone who undoubtedly will always have the best interests of Celtic in his heart."

Who is Celtic’s new boss Wilfried Nancy?

Born in Le Harve, France, Nancy experienced a 10-year playing career in the lower divisions of his homeland before moving to Canada to begin coaching.

Following the resignation of Thierry Henry as head coach in 2021, Montreal CF appointed Nancy and he steered the club to the Canadian Championship later that year.

Nancy then made the switch to the States in 2022 to take the reins at Columbus Crew, where he led the Ohio-based outfit to MLS Cup glory in 2023 when he was also named MLS Coach of the Year.

However, Columbus Crew could only finish seventh in the Eastern Conference, and 12th overall, in the 2025 campaign, suffering defeat to FC Cincinnati in the best-of-three playoffs.

Nancy has now become the first Frenchman to manage Celtic and only the third man born outside of the UK to take charge of the Hoops in the last 26 years after Ange Postecoglou and Ronny Deila.