Nigeria international Kelechi Iheanacho will play under a new head coach at Celtic, following the appointment of Wilfried Nancy, BBC Sport reports.

The 48-year-old Frenchman, who signed a a two-and-a-half year contract, has been head coach of Major League Soccer club Columbus Crew since 2022 and will take charge at Celtic Park on Thursday.

Celtic had been searching for a new manager since 27 October when Brendan Rodgers resigned and Martin O’Neill stepped in as caretaker.

The Parkhead club have won every domestic match under O’Neill’s stewardship, moving to within two points of Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts and reaching the Premier Sports Cup final at Rangers’ expense.

Rodgers’ permanent successor Nancy led Montreal to the Canadian Championship in 2021, before guiding Crew to the MLS Cup in 2023 and the Leagues Cup, a competition between Mexican and United States sides, last year, when he was also named MLS coach of the year.

However, they failed to hit those heights this year as they finished seventh in the Eastern Conference and 12th overall.