Eddie Howe and the sliding doors moment | OneFootball

Eddie Howe and the sliding doors moment. One that worked out for all involved.…

Photo: Mike Egerton

As Celtic prepare to take on Newcastle United in a pre-season friendly at Celtic Park today, the man sitting in the away dug out could so easily have occupied the home one had fate not intervened.

Eddie Howe was hotly tipped to become the Celtic manager for many months 2021 after Celtic endured a disastrous campaign that resulted in the dismissal of Neil Lennon.

The highly regarded young manager had apparently all but signed on the dotted line to become the manager of Celtic Football Club.

New Newcastle Head Coach Eddie Howe (c) pictured at his unveiling press conference with Directors Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi at St. James Park on November 10, 2021 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

However a major spanner was thrown in the works and the plug was pulled on the deal due to what’s believed to have been an issue regarding Howe’s coaching staff, and it left the club still very much in the hunt for a new manager.

Ange Postecoglou, Manager of Celtic lifts the Scottish Cup trophy after the team’s victory during the Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Hampden Park on June 03, 2023 (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

Ange Postecoglou is seen at the end of the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on May 24, 2023. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

So we had our new man soon enough in Ange Postecoglou, an appointment that came as a surprise to most, but the rest as they say is history.

Ange led us to two years of success whilst enthrawling us with an exciting brand of football, aided by bringing in names and fans favourites such as Kyogo, Reo Hatate, and Daizen Maeda, players who we would barely know existed had Eddie Howe been appointed.

Howe didn’t fair too badly either as he went on to manage the Magpies who were soon to be taken over by one of the richest investors in world football, which in turn allowed him to spend big in pursuit of success on Tyneside, resulting in Champions League football and the Geordies first trophy in over fifty years as they won last seasons league cup.

It was a real sliding doors moment, and one that worked out best for all involved.

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