IT was supposed to the greatest day of his flourishing managerial career.
But instead it was turned upside down by a shock call from Celtic supremo Peter Lawwell.
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The Hoops were on the lookout for a new manager in 2009 with Gordon Strachan leaving the club.
And Lawwell didn’t want to waste any time in searching for a replacement and was convinced he had a ready-made one in Owen Coyle.
The former Republic of Ireland international – who was brought up in the Gorbals as a Celtic fan – turned out for Airdrie, Motherwell and Bolton Wanderers among others during a 22-year playing career before taking up as role as co-player-manager at Falkirk, winning the old First Division in 2003.
He became a full-time manager in 2005 with St Johnstone, taking them on some impressive cup runs and to the brink of promotion in his second season.
Burnley snapped him up and within two years he guided them to the promised land of the Premier League and he was seen as one of the brightest young managers in British football.
Lawwell wanted some of that himself and just MINUTES after Burnley had secured promotion, the Hoops chief unexpectedly rang Coyle to try and entice him to Parkhead.
Speaking on BBC Sportsound, Coyle said: “I turned the Celtic job down in 2009. People don’t realise that.
“I was the Burnley manager and Gordon Strachan had just resigned from Celtic and I obviously was doing fantastic with Burnley, I took them to the Premier League, and was offered the job.
“I’ve got to say my initial reaction was to say yes I want to take the job.
“And what I actually had to do was to take the emotion out of the decision because my kids were a lot younger at that time.
“As a family we sat down and spoke about it with my wife and discussed whether we wanted to bring the kids back into that environment with the age they were at.
“Had they been a little bit older we probably would of.
“But I was in the best league in the world, playing against the Chelsea‘s and Manchester United‘s every week.
“And ultimately that’s why I made the decision not to.
“I think then Tony Mowbray was appointed subsequently after that.”
Coyle, who is now in India as manager of Chennaiyin (he won the Indian Super League with previous club Jamshedpur in 2022) insists he has no regrets over turning the offer down.
He admits it would have been a dream job but in this instance, he wouldn’t have been taking it for the right reasons.
Coyle wrestled with his emotions but in the end he stayed with Burnley for six months before the lure of former club Bolton was too much.
Given their proximity to Burnley and the fact they were also battling it out against one another in the Premier League, Coyle was called a JUDAS by sections of the Turf Moor support.
And after some initial success with Wanderers his stay there turned sour, ending his stay after 18 months following a relegation and a poor start to the following season.
He has since managed in the USA and in Scotland again, almost leading Queen‘s Park to the Premiership in 2023.
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Coyle said:Â “I don’t think you have any regrets because when you make the decisions at the time, those are the decisions.
“As a kid growing up, would it be the dream to manage Glasgow Celtic?
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“Absolutely because it’s my team and it always will be and that goes without saying.
“But you make those decisions and you make them for the best reasons.”
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