Celtic should not even waste their time attempting to lure Kjetil Knutsen away from Bodo/Glimt as Ange Postecoglou prepares to take over at Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur.
The 54-year-old is likely to be one of the first names on the lips of Celtic supporters as the treble-winning Hoops plan for life without a coach who, after two outstanding seasons, surely deserves a seat at the right hand of Martin O’Neil in the annals of modern Scottish football history.
Ange Postecoglou won five trophies, restored Celtic at the top of the tree, masterminded some of the most inspired signings in recent memory, and instilled a style of football so mesmerising that it even caught Real Madrid on their heels in the Champions League group-stages.
In short, Postecoglou will take some replacing.
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The National point out that Knutsen, a two-time league champion himself with Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt, is likely to feature on Celtic’s post-Postecoglou wishlist, alongside former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch.
Knutsen has three Manager of the Year awards in just five seasons at Bodo/Glimt. His side defeated Celtic 5-1 on aggregate in the UEFA Conference League last year too.
But, after losing the Eliteserien title to Malmo in 2022, Knutsen’s focus is not on a move away from the Arctic Circle, but on reclaiming his crown. The Norwegian season runs from March until November, meaning the former Asane boss is unlikely to consider a fresh start until the autumn at the earliest.
“I want to strongly emphasise that it takes a lot for me to leave in the middle of a season,” Knutsen told TV2 after Bodo/Glimt celebrated their eighth straight win over the weekend.
“Right now, the place I am in is an incredibly good place to be.”
‘An incredible place to be’
New Ajax director Sven Mislintat admitted last week that the Eredivisie giants had made contact with Knutsen’s agent. But, having turned his nose up at countless jobs over the years, it seems there is no limits to the loyalty of a man who guided Bodo/Glimt to their first ever league title in 2020 and then repeated the trick in 2021.
“What I can say about my focus is that it is always here,” Knutsen adds. “The fact that you are in the middle of a season, where there are many exciting tasks ahead of you, must be my focus.
“I have to show that to the players and everyone who works at the club every single day. That’s what I do. And I have shown that over time, that (focusing on the task in hand) is the most important thing.”
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