Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has set the record straight on the events surrounding his near-move to Celtic in 2021, dismissing claims from Simon Jordan that he “bottled” the job.
Howe had emerged as the top candidate for the Celtic manager’s role after Neil Lennon’s departure, with the Parkhead side desperate to restore their dominance following a disastrous campaign that saw them miss out on ten-in-a-row.
It seemed almost certain that Howe, who had earned plaudits for his work at Bournemouth, would take over. However, negotiations ultimately collapsed when Howe was unable to assemble his preferred backroom staff, paving the way for Ange Postecoglou to step in.
Postecoglou went on to bring silverware back to Celtic Park, while Howe’s career took a different path, leading Newcastle into the Champions League after their Saudi-backed resurgence.
Despite the success both parties have enjoyed since, Howe’s near-appointment remains a compelling “what if” in football circles.
In a candid discussion on Simon Jordan’s Up Front podcast, Howe addressed the TalkSport pundit’s suggestion that he lacked the nerve to take on the pressures of managing a club like Celtic. The exchange was as revealing as it was frank:
Jordan: “So you get Celtic coming in the door. And I remember pining on at the time. I didn’t pine on in a very complimentary way because I felt that you bottled it. It’s one way of putting it.”
Howe: “Say what you really think….”
Jordan: “Absolutely. I felt that the Celtic job is a massive job in football. It comes with its own pressure… And it felt to me like you didn’t fancy it for that reason. Celtic obviously thought quite highly of you… So put aside the baiting observation of me saying that you bottled it. What was the reason that you wouldn’t have taken on such a big job like Celtic?”
Howe responded thoughtfully, explaining the circumstances that led to his decision:
Howe: “During that period that I’d had out, I’d had a few job offers, but I’d said I’m not considering anything for 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. I could have gone in on my own and worked with the staff that are there. But I felt I needed to go in 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 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.”
Jordan, to his credit, acknowledged Howe’s reasoning, conceding that his earlier assessment had been unfair.
Jordan: “So it’s grotesquely unfair, my observation?”
Howe: “Well, it is, yeah. But that’s what happens in the media, doesn’t it? You jump to conclusions. I heard that, and you have to accept it. You can’t fight it.”
Howe’s explanation not only clarifies why he turned down Celtic but also highlights his commitment to operating in the best conditions for success. It’s a decision that may have disappointed fans in Glasgow at the time but one that has undeniably worked out for both him and the club.
