Eddie Howe blasts back at Celtic 'bottled it' accusation as he puts Simon Jordan straight on what REALLY happened

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe put Simon Jordan straight over what really happened with the Celtic job - shooting down an accusation that he 'bottled' taking it on.

Howe was infamously offered the reins back in 2021 when he was out of work and the Hoops were looking for Neil Lennon's permanent replacement. He looked poised to take it, but negotiations broke down with Howe unable to secure the services of his usual backroom team, and it ended up going to Ange Postecoglou instead.

In the end it worked out for everyone, Postecoglou restoring Celtic to domestic dominance, while Howe later landed the Newcastle job and led them into the Champions League. However the close call remains a big 'what if' for both parties and Howe has been no stranger to speaking about it in the past. But in a revealing exchange on Simon Jordan's Up Front podcast, Howe bit back at the broadcaster's previous accusation that he 'bottled' taking on such a high-profile job.

You can read the full back and forth below.

Jordan: “So you get Celtic coming in the door. And I remember pining on at the time. I didn’t pine on in a very complimentary way because I felt that you bottled it. It’s one way of putting it."

Howe: “Say what you really think....”

Jordan: "Absolutely. I felt that the Celtic job is a massive job in football. It comes with its own pressure that you’re in a two-horse league and ultimately you’ve got to win. There’s no alternative. And it felt to me like you didn’t fancy it for that reason. Celtic obviously thought quite highly of you and if you look at what they said at the time, they were, it looked like, alighting upon you for a big job. A job with European football attached to it, a job with scale and recognisability around the