Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
CELTIC EDDIE IS M Y KNAPP TO WRESTLE TITLE BACK
Harry backs Howe to rejuvenate Celts
HARRY REDKNAPP last night tipped Eddie Howe to be perfect for Parkhead – and insisted a silverware showdown with Steven Gerrard blows most options in England out of the water.
Celtic chiefs are confident they can thrash out the small print on a deal to land the former Bournemouth boss and could have him on board this week.
Redknapp (right) – who is also a former Cherries gaffer – snapped up Howe as a player when he was manager at Portsmouth and has been keeping tabs on his dugout career as he led Bournemouth from the basement division to the EPL.
Howe’s miracle work on the south coast has fired the manager in to the frame for several positions down south – with Record Sport revealing Howe had knocked back two EPL gigs last week.
Celtic are hoping to pip Crystal Palace and Newcastle United to his appointment and Redknapp reckons the promise of hunting trophies and competing in Europe could sway his thinking – along with the mouthwatering box office prospect of a title fight with
Three Lions legend Gerrard at
Rangers.
Ex-spurs and West
Ham manager Redknapp said: “I think it would be a great move for Eddie. We are talking about one of the major clubs in world football.
“It would be a great opportunity for him to go up and try to get Celtic back to where they were a year ago.
““It would also be a great move for Celtic too.
“If he doesn’t go to Celtic there’s no doubt, he will go to a Premier League club. But do you want to go to a middle of the table Premier League club and try to stay up every year or would you rather go to Celtic and try to win the title and have that great rivalry with Rangers and play in the Champions League? It’s far more exciting to go to Celtic, I think.”
Redknapp is convinced his old charge has the tools to be a success at Celtic. Howe is hot property down south and has been touted as a future England boss after completing his Bournemouth mission impossible.
Redknapp said: “Eddie is very, very good. He took a club from the bottom division to the Premier League and kept them there for five years.
“Eighteen months ago, people were talking about him being next England manager and there was talk of Arsenal so there’s no doubt Celtic will be getting a fantastic manager.”