At a club like Celtic, nothing ever stands still for long. One week it is about results, the next it is about identity, and somewhere in between, the biggest question of all keeps creeping back into the conversation.
Who leads this club next.
The noise around the dugout has been building for weeks. With Martin O’Neill steadying things for now, there is still a sense that this is only temporary. The summer is coming, decisions are looming, and behind the scenes, names are being discussed, debated, and quietly pushed forward.
Supporters feel it. Pundits sense it. Even players, whether they admit it or not, know that change is hanging in the air.
Because this is not just about appointing a manager. This is about choosing a direction.
Do Celtic go for experience or something fresh. Do they look within the game they know, or reach beyond it. Do they steady the ship or try to transform it completely.
All of that has turned the search into something far bigger than a simple appointment. It has become a statement.
And slowly, one name keeps finding its way back into the conversation.
Not loudly. Not aggressively. But persistently.
Roberto Martinez.
It is a link that has been there before. The connection to Glasgow, the relationship with Shaun Maloney, the reputation built across club and international football. It all fits a certain profile. One that Celtic might be tempted by at a moment like this.
Now, someone who knows him well has gone a step further.
Former Premier League standout Gareth Barry has opened up on why he believes Martinez is not just a candidate, but the man most likely to take over at Parkhead.
Speaking from experience after working under him at Everton, Barry did not hesitate when asked about the possibility.
“Getting Roberto Martinez would be a big statement for Celtic.
“The way Roberto Martinez’s managerial career has gone, I can see that happening. He’s had a couple of years out of the day-to-day stuff with the international jobs. Having worked at Everton, he absolutely lives and breathes football, knows every player, knows every tactical move.
“I think he’ll be a success there. He’ll improve players that come into the club. It will suit their style of wanting to improve young players, moving them on sometimes. I can actually see that happening and see why he’s among the favorites for the job.”
It is not just praise. It is certainty.
And it adds weight to a situation that is already beginning to take shape.
Martinez, currently with the Portugal national team, is widely expected to reassess his future after the upcoming World Cup. That timing alone places him directly in line with Celtic’s expected decision window.
Suddenly, what once felt like speculation starts to feel a little more real.
Back at Parkhead, though, the present still demands attention. The title race is alive, unpredictable, and, by all accounts, one of the most chaotic in years.
Barry, who played under O’Neill at Aston Villa, believes that experience could yet prove decisive as the season reaches its breaking point.
“You look at the business end of the season and the players and sometimes the manager that’s been there before just swings it in your advantage. But yeah, it’s just a different feeling this year with Hearts in the mix.
“It’s great to watch and I think it’s attracted a lot more attention with people wanting to watch a bit more of the Scottish league. Neutrals will definitely be wanting to see Hearts get over the line.
“Celtic, I’m not surprised by the bounce they had with Martin because I know the way he manages. He’ll come in and bring the confidence back to everyone and get a team that’s settled rather than make loads of changes, get everyone in their right positions, and just simplify things.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they finish strongly and nick it from the other two. The experience he’s got there, been there and done it, will give him a little edge over the other two managers.”
It is a reminder that while the future is being debated, the present is still very much alive.
And maybe that is what makes this moment so fascinating.
Celtic are caught between two timelines. One is about survival, results, and trying to rescue something from a turbulent season. The other is about what comes next, who leads it, and how bold the club is willing to be.
Barry even admitted he once came close to experiencing that world himself, revealing how a move to Scotland was once on the table.
“There certainly was a conversation when I left Man City and had a loan season at Everton. It was a conversation with my agent about Scotland and any real interest.
“I just think the timings and everything meant there was never any real strong interest, which is a shame, really, because it’s something I’d probably like to have sampled.
“You get players that go out there on loan sometimes for half a season just to sample it, and they seem to have great times. The Old Firm Derby is quite something, just watching on TV, you can tell the atmosphere, and as a player, you would have loved to play in it. Unfortunately nothing really got too close, but it’s one I would have loved to have experienced.”
And that, in a way, brings it all back to the same question.
Celtic is still one of those clubs. The kind that pulls people in, even from a distance. The kind that turns possibilities into serious conversations.
Now the only thing left is to see whether that pull is strong enough to bring Martinez to Parkhead.