There is a big job vacancy up for grabs north of the border as the Celtic manager post became available this week.

Neil Lennon's second reign as the man in charge at Celtic Park came to a close following a dismal defeat to Ross County, ending his tenure at almost exactly the two-year mark.

Their fans were hoping that 10 league titles in a row would be the big achievement this season, but they've faltered massively and Steven Gerrard and Rangers have taken advantage as they chase both European and domestic success.

With the Scottish Premiership probably now out of Celtic's reach, the search for a new manager starts, with names like Eddie Howe, Frank Lampard and Steve Clarke leading the betting odds.

But they could look within the EFL for their new man, and former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has singled out two managers who his former club should have their eyes on.

“I think somebody like Michael O’Neill has done a pretty decent job throughout his management career - maybe have a shot for somebody like him," Sutton suggested on the BT Sport Scottish Football Extra show.

“I’ll tell you an interesting one down south. Mick McCarthy’s gone into Cardiff City and turned them around.

"He may not be everybody’s cup of tea but you sort of know he will organise his team and get them playing a certain way.”

O'Neill has impressed at Stoke City since he took over from Nathan Jones in late 2019, whilst McCarthy has immediately turned around Cardiff's fortunes as the Bluebirds have already risen into the Championship playoffs under his management.

The Verdict

Celtic could do a lot worse than either O'Neill or McCarthy.

O'Neill for one has proven during his time at both Northern Ireland and Stoke that he is a good manager and that he can get results - he also likes blooding in young players and that would definitely excite Celtic fans.

McCarthy meanwhile you would have thought would've seen his stock lower following a brief spell in Cyprus, but he's gone into Cardiff and made them look like a completely different team.

If he could have that kind of impact on Celtic, then who knows what he could do with them in both domestic and European competition.

O'Neill and McCarthy definitely seem more realistic than some of the contenders in the betting markets anyway, which include Rafa Benitez and Sean Dyche...