Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez has been backed as a possible candidate to replace Neil Lennon at Celtic at the end of the season.

The former Liverpool and Chelsea manager’s contract at St James’ Park expires in June with the Spaniard likely to be available in the summer.

Benitez has won the Champions League, the UEFA Cup/Europa League twice, as well as winning the Spanish league title twice with Valencia in the early noughties.

His CV is unparalleled compared to other managers being linked with the post at Parkhead, and he has proven he can win on a budget when he gained promotion with Newcastle from the Championship.

This fan thinks that Benitez would be the ideal candidate to take over at Celtic:

Whether Benitez is a realistic target, it is doubtful at the moment. The Celtic board would need to show a lot more ambition in terms of their transfer budget to attract the Spanish tactician.

The ex Napoli and Real Madrid head coach would want to compete in the Champions League, and that would mean making significant improvements to the playing squad.