Wilfried Nancy became the shortest serving permanent manager in Celtic history when he was sacked yesterday after just eight matches in charge.
The Frenchman left Columbus Crew in the MLS at the beginning of December for Glasgow, but failed to outlast the duration at the helm spent by his interim predecessor Martin O’Neill, who has since returned until the end of the season.
Yet the 48-year-old is not alone when it comes to forgettable reigns in Scotland, as we take a look at the ten shortest serving permanent hires in the Scottish top-flight since the turn of the millennium.
1. Wilfried Nancy, Celtic – 33 days
The aforementioned Wilfried Nancy. He leaves Scotland with two wins and six losses, with many sceptical he understood the gravity of the situation he was getting himself into. Fans would argue that bigger problems remain at Parkhead, but Thierry Henry’s former assistant’s stubbornness to adapt to the personnel at his disposal and persistence with his 3-4-2-1 shape would be his undoing. Nancy lost a cup final, fell further behind leaders Hearts and lost 3-1 at home to Rangers in just over a month in charge.
2. Jack Ross, Dundee United – 71 days
A name that still haunts Dundee United fans to this day, Jack Ross was sacked from Dundee United after seven games in 2022 which seen him lose his last five. Perhaps not the state of the form sheet that was the reason for sacking the former Sunderland manager, but instead the manner of the defeats. After an astounding 1-0 home win over AZ Alkmaar in Conference League qualifiers, players were rested in a defeat to Livingston for the away leg, which the Terrors lost 7-0. Defeats to Hearts and St. Mirren followed, before Ange Postecoglou’s swashbuckling Celtic thrashed them 9-0 at Tannadice to show Ross the door.
3. Derek Adams, Ross County – 79 days
Derek Adams returned to Dingwall for a third time in late 2023, but it was most definitely not third time the charm for the former Morecambe manager. This spell is most memorable for his infamous scathing post-match interview after a 1-0 home defeat to Dundee, where he said the standard of Scottish football was ‘shocking’ and that his former Morecambe side were ‘100 times better’ than his new squad. Unsurprisingly, this failed to turn his fortunes around, and Adams resigned after 2 wins from 12 games.
4. Alan Stubbs, St. Mirren – 87 days
Alan Stubbs took charge in Paisley in 2018 after St. Mirren won promotion to the Premiership under Jack Ross’ stewardship. He was given just four league games in charge, defeating Dundee on the opening day of the season before three losses to the Rangers, Livingston and Hearts. The Scouser won the Scottish Cup with Hibs in 2016, but has not returned to management since leaving the Buddies and was replaced by Oran Kearney who kept them up via the relegation play-offs.
5. Mark McGhee, Dundee – 103 days
Mark McGhee was appointed Dundee gaffer to save their season in February 2022, despite having an existing six-game ban from his time at Motherwell five years prior. Another 9-0 victim to Celtic from his also forgettable Aberdeen spell as manager, he was unable to keep the dark blue side of Tannadice Street afloat, as they went down to the Championship and McGhee’s contract was not extended, having won only once in fourteen fixtures.
6. George Burley, Hearts – 112 days
The most unjustified dismissal of this list, fans across the country could not believe what they were being told when news broke that George Burley left Tynecastle by ‘mutual consent’ in October 2005 following ‘irreconcilable differences’ with ill-famed owner Vladimir Romanov. Burley left Hearts top of the league after ten games, having won eight of those. His only other job in Scotland was as national team manager, but he was a lot less successful at Hampden than he was in the capital city.
7. Lee McCulloch, Kilmarnock – 118 days
Initially appointed in interim charge alongside Peter Leven in 2017 after Lee Clark left Rugby Park, Lee McCulloch took the reins full-time at the end of the season after Killie finished 8th in 16/17. However, after no wins in his opening eight league games with the permanent gig, the f0rmer Rangers’ utility player was sacked and replaced by Steve Clarke. McCulloch now serves as talent acquisition manager at Premier League club Brighton and Hove Albion.
8. Shaun Maloney, Hibernian – 120 days
Shaun Maloney was offered his first managerial gig at Hibs in December 2021 after being highly spoken of from his time spent as a coach at Celtic and the Belgian national side. He would win his first two games, but would only register another four wins from his 19 managed overall and was sacked following a 2-1 Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to city rivals Hearts. Maloney has now become Martin O’Neill’s assistant for the rest of this season at Celtic.
9. Russell Martin, Rangers – 123 days
In an era of awful appointments at Ibrox, Russell Martin holds the unwanted tag of being booted out the quickest. Enjoying little success in Govan as a player and as a manager, his arrival at the beginning of this season was immediately met with scepticism when he announced he would not follow club tradition of wearing a suit and brogues. His public fallouts with star men Nico Raskin and Hamza Igamane doomed him from the start, as he was escorted out of the Falkirk Stadium after a 1-1 draw which would be his last match as Rangers manager, winning just one of his first eight league games.
10. Michael Wimmer, Motherwell – 133 days
Another appointment that didn’t go wrong, Wimmer left Motherwell at the end of last season having only took the job in February 2025. He won five and drew three of his twelve games in charge at Fir Park, before leaving for his native land to manage German third-tier side Jahn Regensburg at the end of the season to be closer to his family. Disappointing for ‘Well fans at the time, the club replacing Wimmer with Dane Jens Berthel-Askou has soothed things over as the Steelmen sit fourth.
