Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports, former Republic of Ireland and Premier League striker Kevin Doyle has revealed he twice had the chance to sign for Celtic and gives his perspective on the current state of Scottish Football suggesting Brendan Rodgers and Russell Martin may both leave the league soon, albeit for opposing reasons.
Doyle speaks with great admiration for Sunderland and their prospects for this season, but suggests former club Wolves could be in trouble and former club Crystal Palace could have a job on their hands to retain star manager Oliver Glasner.
Elsewhere the former footballer reflects on scoring against the club he supported Man Utd, backs Roy Keane to take the Ireland manager job but argues that former teammate John O'Shea needs to try his hand at club football first!
The piece concludes with the former MLS and League of Ireland striker giving his perspective on both the legendary Messi and up and coming St Parick's Athletic striker Mason Melia, and discusses his love for horse racing both during and post football.
Celtic FC
Missed Celtic Chance
I was close to joining Celtic twice. The first time, I was at Wolves on transfer deadline day. Wolves were waiting to send the paperwork, but they changed their mind. I was prepared to go.
The following transfer window, I was again close to signing for Celtic. However, I ended up going on loan to Queens Park Rangers instead. Harry Redknapp was the manager, and they were close to getting promoted to the Premier League.
At the time, I fancied the chance of playing for QPR. Looking back years later, I would have loved the opportunity to play for Celtic, but it didn't happen.
End Of The Road For Rodgers At Celtic?
To win everything. That's the pressure. If you don't win the league and come second, you're not good enough. It's not like that in many places in the world.
At the moment, just listening to Brendan Rodgers in his press conferences and talking about summer signings, what he didn't get, what he wanted, or reading between the lines, it doesn't look particularly rosy there.
The same goes for Rangers; they've had a terrible start. But for Celtic, looking at it, it seems to me that Brendan Rodgers is probably coming to the end of his time there. Not necessarily due to performances, but it just looks like he feels he's done as much as he can do.
He's not going to get the opportunity to improve much more there. Going back two or three weeks and listening to him talk, it feels like it's very close to the end.”
Rodgers Could Get A Job Anywhere!
I don't think he'd have trouble getting a job anywhere. He's proven to be a good manager over the years and always seems to start particularly well in his first year.
He couldn't have done much more than he did with Celtic, even playing against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last year. They actually played quite well in that game, getting caught a few times but performing well overall.
This year, failing to qualify for the league phase was a disaster for the club. However, I think when you listen to him talk, he'll argue that it was more to do with what they could or couldn't sign, rather than his management on the touchline.
Will Brendan Rodgers Return To The Premier League Someday?
Rangers
Russell Martin’s Rangers Challenge
They want to win the league and challenge Celtic, which they aren't doing at the moment. I don't know how the season will end, but I feel Brendan Rodgers might be leaving for different reasons to Russell Martin. If you're not winning or looking like you're winning, you won't be there much longer.
Sunderland
Sunderland Have “Everything”
I like Sunderland. They struggled for so long, and we had that documentary on them a few years ago now, covering their disasters, the number of managers, and the amount of money and players they went through.
Now, they're back in the Premier League and doing well. Unlike Luton, who came up and were expected to struggle, Sunderland have everything. They tick all the boxes: facilities, training ground, a good stadium, and a strong support base.
If they can get up and stay up, they can remain in the Premier League for a long time, just like they did five or ten years ago.”
Wolves
Wolves Woes
Wolves have lost a top player in Matheus Cunha and, despite being a competitive Premier League team for years, they've had a tough start to the season. It seems they haven't spent as much as in previous times or adequately replaced players they've sold, which could lead to a long season.
Oliver Glasner
Oliver Glasner
It would be awful if someone came in for him and he left after he made demands to stay and said that he needed Marc Guehi to stay for one more season. It would be a bit hypocritical, but I like him. Crystal Palace are a very good club.
He obviously has something as a manager, and I think he needs another good season to get a job at a so-called ‘big’ club. I liked how they handled themselves, and he handled himself, in the summer, though, regarding Marc Guehi. You want to hold on to your players.
For him to keep a player might keep him in his job or keep Crystal Palace up, and he didn't do too much talking about it. He went about it quietly, and he's quite an impressive man.
Is Glasner Next In Line For Man Utd?
Would Oliver Glasner want to put himself through going to Man Utd? Listen, I think for his career, he'd be better off taking a slower, steadier approach and building up to that instead of jumping into the deep end right now.
Ruben Amorim is happy after winning at the weekend. I did see an interesting stat in which they're basically top of every attacking stat: shots on target, XG, shots off target, chances created.
It didn't show anything about the amount of balls they let into their own net, or the amount they put in the other teams' net, but on stats, they're having a great season and are top of the stats league.
I'm a Man Utd fan, so I'm slightly frustrated. They've changed so many things. Maybe there is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.
Scoring Against Man Utd Was “Crazy”
I scored against Man Utd the first time I played them. That was just crazy. At the time, it was my first season in the Premier League, but as time went on, I became less of a fan.
I wasn't a fan anymore. Only since I retired have I sort of got back into it with my kids, and they're fans. All of a sudden, I'm back in and getting angry watching the telly.
“When I was playing against them, that just went out the window, not consciously, it just did. You're just not a fan anymore.”
Roy Keane
Give Keane The Ireland Job
Every time the job comes up, Roy Keane is a contender and why not? He was arguably Ireland's greatest player – I don't think that's questionable. Perhaps not specifically for the national team, but overall, what he achieved in his career, he was the best player to come out of Ireland, in my opinion.
He's also had good success as a manager. People often forget the job he did at Sunderland. It didn't work out for him at Ipswich, perhaps, but he has had success.
Maybe international football would suit him. It's not the day-to-day grind, the emotion that comes with playing every week. He could focus more, be a bit more chilled out in between games. The Irish international team hasn't exactly been thriving for a number of years. So, if he were to get the job, it wouldn't cause any harm.
It probably couldn't go any worse than it has in the last five years or so. And it would be great for TV, great for the people who cover it, like myself, who do the games for RTÉ. So yeah, I wouldn't mind if he got the job.
John O'Shea
O’Shea To Replace Heimir?
John O’Shea was the temporary manager for a few months. I know John, but I don't talk to him about this. However, I would imagine he'd prefer to get a club job and gain experience as a manager first.
Managing Ireland comes with a lot of pressure, media focus, and fan expectations. We've been brought up on qualifying for World Cups and European championships, from Italia '90 to South Korea and Japan.
My childhood was filled with those experiences, and we haven't had much of that recently. There's a lot of pressure as Ireland manager, and for John, I suppose, he'd probably want to get a bit more experience before taking on the role.
Who Would You Like As The Next Ireland Manager?
Messi
Messi MLS Bounce
If Lionel Messi went anywhere, the interest is going to double, isn't it? He's an exceptional signing for the league. When I was there, there were good players, very good players. Steven Gerrard was there when I was there. David Villa was there.
There were lots of players there at the time, but no one was like Lionel Messi. If he went to Timbuktu, he'd create massive interest.
It's a great league to play in. I really enjoyed it. A fabulous league to play in. It seems from when I've left to now, it's grown and grown all the time. So I'd imagine that's only going to stay that way.
Mason Melia
Mason Melia
The pressure was on Mason Melia to play well, and he has. He's been scoring goals. He's a young player from the League of Ireland. With Brexit, players no longer leave Ireland for English clubs at 15 or 16. Instead, they stay and play for first-team League of Ireland clubs, which I think is better.
They're getting first-team experience in games that matter, which can only benefit them. I played for St Pat's, my first professional club, although I played very few times. That's the way I came through.
Instead of going to England at 16, you can go professional in England, or you can stay in your own country and play at a good level. I hope when he goes now, it works out for him because it reinforces that pathway for kids.
They can stay in the League of Ireland, prove themselves, and the better-quality players who stay will have the potential to get moves to bigger clubs, bringing more money into the league. It's a win-win situation.
I just hope it works out. When I've seen him play, he looks like a really good player. It's easy to get that move and it not go well, but he's pushed on again this season at St Pat's, scoring goals and doing what you want a young kid to do: playing games, which is so important.
Horse Racing
Horse Racing Involvement
We breed horses here at home, which we've done since I was a kid. I had a pony and things, but football was my only interest. I was dragged out to help with horses. I'd had a few horses during my career.
Since I finished playing, it's what I do day-to-day. So you got me in for this interview now, straight from the horses ' mouths. Yeah, I really enjoy it. I like doing this.
Next Runners
Actually, I have two fillies running in a Mares’ Maiden Hurdle. Now I've sold them, but they’re running this week.
One of them, I think, has a probably very good chance. Amen Kate. is a daughter of Augusta Kate. She was a very good race mare. So she has a good chance in that race, I would think.
Cheltenham
We used to go to Cheltenham. Obviously, there are a lot of things to do there. We used to go if the season was going well, as a sort of reward, you're having a great season, go off to Cheltenham for a day.’ If the season was going badly, we'd go as a team bonding session.
Since I've retired, I haven't gone once. So there you go. I got enough years out of it when I was playing football. But yeah, I do go racing. We used to go to places in England. Wolverhampton, actually, is the mecca of all-weather flat racing. I was at that racetrack a couple of times.
But yeah, we would have gone to different racetracks over the years. Teams, players, we'd have syndicates together and different things over the years, and I've always kept an interest.
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