Many Celtic fans would like to see the club appoint Kjetil Knutsen as their next manager. It is easy to see why. He has done a phenomenal job at Bodo/Glimt and exceeded all expectations. Since joining them in 2018, he has won four league titles and is in the running for a fifth one. For context, they had never won one before his arrival. They also became the first Norwegian club to reach a Europa League semi-final last season and made their debut in the Champions League this time.
Of course, Celtic fans have first-hand experience of Knutsen's brilliance. In Ange Postecoglou's debut season with the club, they came up against Bodo/Glimt in the Europa Conference League. The Hoops lost 5-1 on aggregate.
So, Knutsen has done pretty much everything possible at Bodo/Glimt. This might be the time for the next step. And he seems to have opened the door to a move away from the Norwegian club.
As reported by TV2, Knutsen said regarding the possibility of an exit:
"Nothing is certain in life. I am here now and I am happy, and then we can enjoy a nice football match. It is hopeless to answer about other clubs.
I answer as I always do – it should be something that is more exciting than Glimt."
'More exciting than Glimt' - Kjetil Knutsen opens door amid Celtic links
Well, excitement depends on someone's perspective and is very personal. That being said, Bodo/Glimt's home stadium has a capacity of about 8500. Most people would consider managing in front of 60,000 fans every week as more exciting.
Knutsen has spent plenty of time managing Bodo/Glimt and is already a club legend there. There is not much more that he can do, and it is the right time to take the next step in his managerial journey.
Celtic might be the perfect place for him to do that. The Scottish champions will always compete for domestic honours and are an ever-present in Europe as well. Hopefully, that is enough to convince someone like Knutsen that is a more exciting project than the one at Bodo/Glimt, with all due respect to the Norwegian club, who have impressed everybody in recent years.