Craig Bellamy ally reveals Celtic next manager tip as Dermot Desmond left with dilemma
The Wales boss is understood to be one of the leading contenders for the Parkhead gig
Joe Ledley has told Celtic that Craig Bellamy would be PERFECT for the job - if they are willing to wait.
Record Sport understands Wales boss Bellamy has been identified by head of football operations Paul Tisdale as one of the leading candidates.
The ex-Hoops striker has turned heads in his first managerial gig with Wales but is battling to secure a World Cup play-off place.
The Dragons are third in Group J but can keep their qualification hopes alive with back-to-back wins over Liechtenstein and North Macedonia later this month.
Should Wales finish in the top two, their play-off games would take place in March 2026. But should they fall short, then their campaign would end in the coming weeks.
Former Parkhead hero Ledley - who played with Bellamy in the Wales national team - reckons the 46-year-old ticks all the boxes.
He said “There have been a lot of links down here with Craig Bellamy. He's had a fantastic start to his managerial career at Wales.
“There’s a lot of hype around him. The way Wales are playing has been fantastic - really attacking minded, always on the front foot. He'd be a perfect option for Celtic.
"Whether it's too early for him, and maybe Craig wants to continue with Wales and get to a World Cup, we'll see.
“There's an international break this month and then hopefully they will be in the playoffs in March.
"I’ve told people up there he'd be a fantastic candidate for the Celtic job because of the way he plays. He’s always attacking-minded, enthusiastic, and lives and breathes football.
"He's a fanatic. He loves it. He obviously had a short spell playing at Celtic before too - that's one I’d definitely look at [as Celtic].”
Whether Celtic powerbroker Dermot Desmond would be willing to wait for Bellamy - should he lead Wales to the USA, Mexico and Canada tournament - is another question.
Returning hero Martin O'Neill has brought stability after leading the champions to a crucial Premier Sports Cup semi-final win over Rangers.
But the 73-year-old interim boss has been reluctant to throw his hat into the ring to land the job full-time.
Asked if Celtic's patience would be rewarded, Ledley said: “Yes, definitely. The way they're doing it with Martin coming in is the right way. You can't really rush into big decisions like these.
“But I think for Craig, he'd almost definitely want to see if he can get this Welsh team into the World Cup before deciding, and it’s whether Celtic would agree to that. We just don't know.
“There's so many options out there. Ange Postecoglou was fantastic. The board has a lot of time to reflect on what they need to do going forward. There’s great options for Celtic at the moment with managers.
“And not just that, Martin O’Neill has stepped up and done fantastic as well, so I don't think you can rush into these decisions at the moment."
Ledley watched on with pride on Sunday as fellow countryman Callum Osmand made headlines with a dream goal to seal a 3-1 derby win.
He added: “It's great to see these young players come off the bench and get a goal. Not even just scoring, but representing a club like Celtic is an unbelievable achievement.
“He will be absolutely over the moon. His family will be so proud and it's great to see in football. Hopefully he can get a few more games and minutes under his belt, maybe even a start here and there.
“That would build his confidence and he'll learn a lot in that dressing room, being around those pros. It's fantastic to see and it was a great finish as well.”
“There's a lot of games, especially around Christmas time and with the Europa League, so you've got to rest players and mix it up.
"Coming on and scoring like that is only going to make him a better player and improve him. Martin will be looking at him to make an impact off the bench as well.”
Joe Ledley was speaking to Gambling.com, who specialise in ranking and reviewing the best online casino and betting sites.