Who is Wilfried Nancy? MLS expert reveals new Celtic manager's Thierry Henry coaching background

Celtic have had a turbulent start to the 2025/26 campaign.

Having won each of the last four Scottish Premiership titles, the Bhoys currently sit second in the table, four points behind league leaders Hearts, with a game in hand, and in the lower reaches of the UEFA Europa League table.

Celtic are also closing in on their third manager of the season after Brendan Rodgers, who resigned on October 27, and interim boss Martin O'Neill. They'll be hoping that the third time is the charm, and it seems they've already zeroed in on their chosen candidate.

What will Wilfried Nancy bring to Celtic?

Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy, 48, is in advanced talks with the Parkhead club after developing a reputation as one of the finest technicians in Major League Soccer.

But what exactly can Celtic fans expect from Nancy?

This isn't the first time Celtic have gambled on a manager without any experience in European football. The club hired Ange Postecoglou in 2021, whose coaching background included spells in Australia, Greece, and Japan. The result? Celtic wrestled the title back from Rangers and reaffirmed their status as Scotland's top dogs.

Back when Postecoglou was starting his European journey, Nancy was starting out as a first-team manager.

After a decade-long playing career in France, Nancy headed to Montréal in 2005, where he rose through the academy coaching ranks before eventually spending five years as an assistant coach. And in 2021, Nancy was promoted to first-team manager following the departure of Thierry Henry.

It didn't take long for Nancy to make an impact, guiding Montréal to victory against Toronto FC in the 2021 Canadian Championship Final, before overseeing the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, as well as a plethora of franchise records and a run to the Conference semi-finals in 2022.

He then departed Canada for Ohio, making the move to Columbus Crew, where he gained attention for his attractive style of play. His teams will typically set up in a 3-4-3 formation or a 3-4-2-1 formation, with the wing-backs bombing forward and allowing the wingers to tuck inside and combine with their other attackers.

Nancy's style is predicated upon his teams stepping up in the biggest moments and being courageous, whether that's carrying the ball forward amid pressure, or firing in a powerful shot, or moving up and catching his opponent offside. Columbus have punched above their weight thanks to this team mentality; there is no star player in the side.

Despite having one of the lowest budgets in the league, Columbus managed to not only win, but dominate. They led MLS for goals (82), average possession (56.9%) as well as other categories like shots, shots on target and dribbles per game, and they backed up their credentials by winning the 2023 MLS Cup Final.

It was more of the same in 2024, Columbus pinning their opponents back with a coordinated effort on and off the ball. They led MLS for possession (59.5%), and when they didn't have the ball, they were constantly looking to get stuck in and prevent the opponent from breaking forward on the counter.

After a sensational season that saw them win the Leagues Cup, finish second in the Supporters' Shield standings, and reach the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final, Columbus took a step back in 2025 after losing attacking talisman Cucho Hernández prior to the season. They suffered early exits in both cups, placed 7th in the East (12th overall), and departed the MLS Cup in the first round for the second-straight year.

It is a testament to Nancy's growing reputation that, despite suffering his worst season since 2021, he's set to earn himself a move to one of the most trophy-laden clubs in European soccer. He's already restored CF Montréal and Columbus Crew to the promised land and saved them from an impending crisis, but now, can he do the same at Celtic?