Ange Postecoglou has addressed the speculation about John Kennedy’s Celtic future after reports this week have linked the 38-year-old with the managerial vacancy at FC Midtjylland in Denmark.

Kennedy - who has been at Parkhead for over two decades as a player, assistant, and caretaker manager - has never hidden his ambition to one day be his own man in the dugout and has been touted for several managerial roles including Hibernian in the last year.

There have been several reports from Denmark this week inferring Kennedy is high up on the shortlist of candidates for the job at the Superliga side, who are in the Europa League group stages for the season ahead.

And Postecoglou, speaking to the media on Friday, has opened up on the speculation and intimated he would not stand in Kennedy's way if he were approached and wanted to leave.

He said: “You’re best placed to ask John about that, not me. From my perspective, I don’t read the newspaper, so excuse me if I’m not up to speed with what the latest news is.

“He’s had a fantastic managerial journey so far in terms of gaining experience and knowledge. He’s worked with some fantastic managers.

“He’s built up his expertise through different areas of the game. He started off in the junior ranks, he’s done some scouting, and he’s tried to make sure he’s as well-rounded as he possibly can be.

“He’s no different to anyone else at this football club. If people identify him as someone who can help their organisation, then it’s up to the individuals to make those decisions.

“John is a really important part of what we do here, he’s an important part of my setup, he leads a lot of the areas with respect to our football, so he’s a valuable asset to this club.”