Darren O’Dea is ‘in the frame’ to replace Billy Dodds as manager of Inverness Caley Thistle.
The former Celtic and Ireland defender quit playing at the end of the 2018/19 season to take up a coaching job at Motherwell but after a couple of months in that job joined Celtic as u-18 coach and now shares B team duties with Stephen McManus.
O’Dea has had a long term plan to develop a career in coaching and management and has worked closely with Neil Lennon, Ange Postecoglou and now Brendan Rodgers.
At some stage he will want to test himself in frontline management but uprooting his family to move to Inverness would be a big commitment/risk for the 36-year-old.
The Sun reports:
CELTIC coach Darren O’Dea is in the frame for Inverness.
SunSport understands Caley chiefs are keen to speak to the 36-year-old Irishman about their vacant manager’s job.
Caley are on the hunt for a new boss after sacking Scottish Cup final gaffer Billy Dodds on Sunday night following a poor start to the new season.
O’Dea is coaching Celtic’s B team in the Lowland League after a playing career which started with the Hoops and took him to Reading, Ipswich, Toronto, Dundee and Blackpool.
He also represented Ireland 20 times before starting coaching with Motherwell in 2019.
Caley chiefs have placed John Robertson in charge along with Charlie Christie but hope to make a swift appointment.
Caley Thistle CEO Scot Gardiner will know O’Dea from their time together at Dens Park where his playing days ended.
Being joint manager of the Celtic B team is a prestigious job but it is getting harder and harder to get players through from regular Lowland League football.
This afternoon the B team switches to u-19 level with a UEFA Youth League tie away to Feyenoord.
Super Caley go ballistic – Cos Dodds was atrocious…..