Martin O'Neill's second run as Celtic manager has come somewhat out of the blue. He had been pretty much retired from the game, having not been in a managerial post since 2019. But when the Hoops came calling earlier in the campaign, after Brendan Rodgers quit, he answered in an hour of need.

It was initially supposed to be only a short spell and he was soon replaced by Wilfried Nancy. Looking back, Celtic would have been much better off if they had not made that chance at all.

Nancy would win just two of his eight games in charge of the club and was sacked after just 33 days. O'Neill was immediately brought back as interim boss until the end of the season.

O'Neill was given a mountain to climb with a squad that is clearly not good enough. He has done well but there is a possibility that the Hoops could finish the campaign without a trophy. If that did happen, it would not be on the Northern Irishman, that is for sure.

But even if Celtic do end up winning a couple of trophies, it would not mean that O'Neill would continue in his post.

The Northern Irish manager is 74 years old. On more than one occasion, he has talked about the toll that managing has on him these days. Celtic are expected to bring in someone new in the summer.

One of the potential candidates to replace O'Neill was believed to be Craig Bellamy. But now, that seems unlikely.

Wales missed out on World Cup qualification during this international break, which was seen by many Celtic fans as a potential catalyst for a future move to Parkhead being agreed. It appears that Bellamy might have other ideas.

Bellamy recently hinted that he wanted to continue as the Wales national team's manager. He said on BBC Sport: 

"The heartbreak is actually more than I anticipated, but the energy to refocus and go again is definitely still there.

"I really enjoy this. We'll talk more after it [Tuesday's friendly against Northern Ireland] probably because my mind is just so focused on the present moment. But it's the best role in the world.

"Nothing will ever compare to this so why would I want to wish it away? I've really enjoyed doing this and I still do."

Bellamy has a contract with the Wales FA until 2028. And it looks like he might have his eyes set on leading out his national team at the next EUROs.

As for Celtic, that narrows down the list of candidates further. A few of the other names they have been linked with on a consistent basis in recent weeks are Robbie Keane, Jens Berthel Askou and Roberto Martinez.

There is still a decent bit of time between now and the end of the season though. So, do not be surprised if plenty of new names crop up over the coming weeks. What we do know is that Bellamy appears to be out of the running.

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