Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has broken his silence on his decision to turn down the Celtic managerial role in 2021, refuting claims that he “bottled it” under pressure.
Soccer Football – Premier League – Newcastle United v Liverpool – St James’ Park, Newcastle, Britain – December 4, 2024 Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe reacts Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith
Speaking on Up Front with Simon Jordan, Howe explained that his inability to secure his trusted backroom staff was the defining factor in his choice not to join the Glasgow giants.
In 2021, Celtic were in turmoil. The club had failed to secure their coveted 10th consecutive league title, finishing 25 points behind Rangers. Neil Lennon had stepped down, leaving a managerial vacancy at a time when the club desperately needed stability and vision.
Howe emerged as the leading candidate, and for months it appeared certain he would take the reins. However, in May 2021, Celtic announced that Howe had withdrawn from the process due to “reasons outwith both his and our control.”
This decision came as a surprise to fans. Howe’s apparent reluctance to take on the job led to speculation that he had succumbed to the weight of expectation at a club where anything less than winning is unacceptable.
Addressing Howe on his podcast, Simon Jordan didn’t mince words: “I felt that you bottled it… Celtic is a massive job with its own pressure. It felt to me like you didn’t fancy it for that reason.”
Howe dismissed the notion that he was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the Celtic job, stating his decision was entirely logistical:
“Yeah, so during that period that I’d had out, I’d had a few job offers, but I’d said I’m not considering anything to a year.
“That year had passed and Celtic came up and I was immediately attracted to the job. I thought, ‘Wow, what an opportunity. What a football club’.
“Great people as well. The people I met were unbelievable. So there was no downside for me, but I had to get my staff together.”
He continued: “For me, if I was to go into a football club, I could have gone in on my own and worked with the staff that are there.
“I felt I needed to go at my strongest. My strongest would have been with my team, so that’s Jason Tindall, Steven Purchase, Simon Weatherstone, and Dan Hodges. These are important people to me.
“So I’d sort of made my decision. I was really keen to go. Jason had left Bournemouth, but I couldn’t get them together. I couldn’t get the team to all agree. And it wasn’t necessarily I needed every single one of them. But of course, that’s an important dynamic.
“And I didn’t feel that was right for me to take the opportunity. In that moment would have been wrong for Celtic as well, I think. So I declined the offer.”
Celtic fans were initially dismayed by Howe’s decision, but hindsight paints a different picture. The club turned to Ange Postecoglou, who led them to remarkable success, including multiple league titles and a domestic treble in 2023. Postecoglou’s appointment proved transformational, earning him a move to Tottenham Hotspur and cementing his legacy in Celtic’s history.
While Howe’s rejection initially stung, it set the stage for a golden era under Postecoglou.
Six months after turning down Celtic, Howe joined Newcastle United and transformed the club. Under his leadership, Newcastle secured a top-four Premier League finish and Champions League qualification for the first time in two decades. His work on Tyneside has validated his decision to wait for the right opportunity with the right setup.
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