Harry Kewell earns Celtic gesture of class as reason revealed for wait to rubber-stamp Yokohama switch

Celtic coach Harry Kewell has been given time off to finalise his switch to Yokohama F. Marinos.

The Australian wasn’t on the Hoops bench as Brendan Rodgers’ side beat Dundee on Boxing Day. Instead, Kewell has been given a leave of absence to sort out his potential move to Japan and also to spend some time with his family over the festive period. The former Leeds and Liverpool star remains in talks with the J-League side over a return to frontline management.

A deal is at an advanced stage but Kewell has still to finalise his backroom before he formally agrees to any deal. Yokohama want Kewell to replace his former Australian teammate Kevin Muscat, who recommended him for the job. The Japanese side have had a strong tradition of Australian managers as Ange Postecoglou had a spell there before he went to Celtic.

Postecoglou, ironically, took Kewell into Celtic and helped reignite his coaching career after managerial spells at the likes of Barnet, Oldham Athletic, Notts County and Crawley Town. Rodgers has told Kewell he won’t stand in his way of a return to management in his own right.

Celtic are also working hard on a number of January targets. Gwangju claim their star midfielder Jung Ho-Yeon is in talks with Celtic over a deal. The Hoops are also keen on Estoril wide man Tiago Araujo, while another striker remains a target.