Charlie Mulgrew and Kevin Thomson have said that Celtic missed their biggest ever trick in not hiring Jens Berthel Askou to work with Martin O’Neill this season.

The ex-Motherwell boss was widely linked with the Parkhead hotseat earlier this year, but was never pursued as a serious candidate by Dermot Desmond. The club instead interviewed Robbie Keane before opting to stick with O’Neill.

After just three wins in ten, O’Neill has been facing scrutiny in the early stages of his first campaign in permanent charge in two decades. Shortly after securing a fourth-placed finish with the Steelmen last season, Askou moved to data-driven Ligue 1 side Toulouse.

The Dane has had a mixed start in France and currently sits 12th in the table, though his side have significantly underperformed their expected goals, which place them third in the league. For Mulgrew and Thomson, the Celtic boss should’ve moved upstairs to work along with his replacement.

Jens Berthel Askou would’ve been ‘desperate’ for Celtic move

The exchange on The Breakdown went as follows:

Thomson: “It’s easy with hindsight looking back at it, but I did think with how dramatic the last day of the season was, [O’Neill] should’ve just upped sticks and left.

“I still felt like the club would be missing a trick. I think Martin would’ve been a brilliant foil. A mentor/sounding board. Somebody to confide in as part of whatever that looked like at Celtic for the new manager.

“But now he’s been the manager, and he’s had it for a longer period of time rather than just short-term, you know feel as if Martin O’Neill going upstairs just wouldn’t work because he’s just attached himself to being the manager again.”

Mulgrew: “Aye. ‘Cause if he walked away then, Celtic still weighed him in with good money because he deserved that because of what he done with the title and stuff, and then gave it to a Berthel Askou and let Martin O’Neill be director of football or be on the board or whatever…”

Thomson: “It’s the biggest trick Celtic have ever missed, not getting [Askou] in.”

Mulgrew: “That’s a big one, isn’t it. I think he would’ve been desperate for it. He was always at Celtic Park, wasn’t he?”

“He would’ve been, aye. You think of the resources that he would’ve had at his disposal, and the type of players… obviously, it’s a totally different style, but I think it would’ve been as close to getting a replacement that the Celtic fans have been pining for since Ange Postecoglou.”