Celtic v the Rangers – “It is a phenomenal fixture, even now,” Martin O’Neill

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·1. November 2025

Celtic v the Rangers – “It is a phenomenal fixture, even now,” Martin O’Neill

Martin O’Neill spoke to the assembled media at Hampden yesterday afternoon ahead of tomorrow’s eagerly awaited Premier Sports Cup semi-final against theRangers at the national stadium. Here’s everything that was said…

Celtic interim manager Martin O’Neill arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: Martin, you’ve said it’s surreal to be back. I wonder how it feels to be preparing for this fixture, one that you weren’t so synonymous with in your first time here?

OneFootball Videos

Martin O’Neill: “Still surreal, believe it or not. When I came in, obviously, I hadn’t seen the fixture list. If I had, I probably would have stayed at home. But anyway, such as it is. I’m excited, really. Excited by the fixture, it’s always a great one. And genuinely looking forward to now, or I think I am anyway.”

Q: I appreciate time has passed, but what do you remember about them that you can try and bring into this one in terms of your experience?

Martin O’Neill: “Oh, what did I find about them? Just like a nervousness for about 72 hours before, and then if you got the result, if you did get the result, a great relief. And I think that’s what the great Walter Smith used to say about it as well, that it was relief more than anything else. But they were fantastic fixtures, really. And when the stadiums had the full allocation of away support as well too, which was terrific. I always felt going to Ibrox that our crowd would have helped us in the same manner as I’m sure Alex McLeish probably thought that the Rangers crowd over to the right-hand side at Celtic Park would help them as well too. So from all of those things, it’s still a fantastic fixture.”

Celtic interim manager Martin O’Neill during the Premier League match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: I appreciate you’ve said this is a short-term thing this time, but when you think about your first derby game, the win and what it did for you, it goes without saying you’ll be keen to try and replicate that this time and bring some real joy back after a difficult spell?

Martin O’Neill: “Well, replicating that might be extremely difficult. Like scoring six goals against that side. I’d settle for a really lousy 1-0 victory if we could get it. Of course, obviously fond memories, it was great. And I think it did give us a real springboard really for that season. Because in November time, Rangers took us apart at Ibrox. But I think we had enough confidence at that stage or enough self-belief about us that we could withstand that. And I think that’s what happened. Just getting back to your point, it is a phenomenal fixture, even now.”

Continues on the next page…

Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney celebrate Celtic’s opening goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: You’ve had an extra day or two since we saw you after the Falkirk game. It’s been such a busy week, but what have you managed to do or achieve? What’s been put across by you and Shaun?

Martin O’Neill: “Well, the group of players who played most of the game had a day off, so I saw them today. And then we had a training session with the other players, getting to know what some of the lads are capable of doing. And it’s been intense for me to try and look at young faces, seeing them, and trying to put them into context. Well, just about everything. But I managed it this morning, it was great to see some of the younger lads playing. Even if I was here a month or something, it would be really hard to gauge exactly what the players can do. And I think this is the point. The best way for me to find out is naturally on the field of play. But then at the same time, there’s no such thing as a gimme. You can’t put on somebody just to see what you’re like. Sorry, the games are too important.”

Celtic interim manager Martin O’Neill reacts during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: Martin, you said in your previous spell that 72 hours before, you were nervous. Is that a totally different feeling now, second time round?

Martin O’Neill: “Me? Absolutely not. No, no. Worse. By the time that we’d played Rangers, I think we’d played five or six games, so I knew my players pretty well inside out at that stage. This is something I wouldn’t know about our boys. I learned a great deal in the Falkirk game, which was great, great for us. Restoration of confidence, I think is what I said, which was lovely. So, we’ll go into this game with that confidence, and that’s the most important thing.”

Q: Is that the one game that most fans pick out, or people that meet you, away from the ground and say, that’s the game I remember?

Martin O’Neill: “In the 6-2 game? Absolutely. Yeah, honestly. Even people who weren’t there. I see some lads come up and say to me, that was a great game, and they weren’t even born. So, you’re supposed to laugh at that. But they tell me that their grandfathers and fathers were saying about it. Yet, it became a really pivotal match for us, not just that season, but probably for continuing on.”

Continues on the next page…

Kelechi Iheanacho. Dundee v Celtic. 19 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Can you give us an update on certain injuries in your squad, Martin? Kelechi Iheanacho, how’s he doing?

Martin O’Neill: “Doing fine. Yeah, doing fine at this minute. We’ll have a little look tomorrow, see how things are. The same with Kieran. I think he finished the game, didn’t he, against Hearts, but then felt it in training, a bit of a groin strain. But I think he’s going to be training tomorrow, he will hopefully be fit for selection for Sunday.”

Alistair Johnston modelling the brand new Celtic FC x adidas Terrace Icons collection

Q: Any update on Alistair Johnston?

Martin O’Neill: “I’ve met him a couple of times. He’s a lively lad, isn’t he? Really lively. Nice, really nice fellow. Genuinely nice fellow. And I kind of got to know him before, because when he was at Nashville, he was being coached by Stevie Guppy at the time. So, we’ve had a little chat about Stevie, and that was nice. I don’t think he’s a million miles away, but obviously, he wouldn’t be available for any of these games in close proximity.”

Daizen Maeda of Celtic is seen during the Premier League match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: Martin, are we expecting many changes then from your Falkirk team on Wednesday?

Martin O’Neill: “Really, we’ll have a think about it. Maeda, obviously, will come into my thoughts, although he got about 25 minutes or something there in the game. So, we’ll see. I genuinely don’t know. I’ve got another day to think about it.”

Q: In terms of approaching this game, obviously, you’ve only been in the building for a few days. How do you try and get up to speed with how you’re going to prepare for (the)Rangers, especially because they’ve changed the way they’ve played recently as well. How are you actually going about that? Is it mainly yourself? Is it Shaun? Is it part of the bigger backroom stuff?

Martin O’Neill: “I would not just need help. I’d be demanding help from them. Absolutely. And they were terrific for me. Shaun, we had something to eat together the night before the Falkirk game and I was appreciative of that. Not just that there, but his knowledge of the team, things like that. And then Mark Fotheringham that I work with as well. He was a young kid here. So, they’ve been invaluable, as has the rest of the backroom staff. Really, really good. Obviously, I’d be relying on some things just as we finish now. We’ll be running through some homework now. I was nearly going to say DVDs.”

Continues on the next page…

theRangers Unveil New Manager Danny Röhl at Ibrox Stadium on October 21, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: So, what do you actually expect from (the)Rangers then on Sunday?

Martin O’Neill: “Well, I’ve heard a lot of good things and I think I said this even before I got this job, a lot of good things about the manager. I think a lot of the players at Sheffield Wednesday were very complimentary about him. So, he will have gone in there now. That was a big win for them there at Easter Road. Really big win. So, they’ll be going to the game with plenty of confidence themselves.”

27 August 2000: (L to R) Stilian Petrov of Celtic battles with Barry Ferguson and Billy Dodds of Rangers and Joos Valgaeren and Johan Mjallby of Celtic during the Celtic v Rangers Premier League match at Celtic Park which. Celtic won 6-2. Photo: Stu Forster/ALLSPORT

Q: Martin, you mentioned the 6-2 game was a bit of a catalyst for you that season. Given what’s happened so far this season, a couple of defeats before you came in, maybe the club needs a bit of unity. Could this be equally important if you can get a good win?

Martin O’Neill: “Oh, this would be. Yeah, this is a big game for us. Really, don’t disguise that at all. It’s the semi-final, it’s a big match for us. Any Celtic (the)Rangers game is a big game, but particularly given the circumstances of the recent days, if not weeks, yeah, absolutely.

Celtic’s Craig Bellamy beats Rangers’ Marvin Andrews to the ball during the Scottish Premier League match between Celtic and Rangers on February 20, 2005 at Celtic Park. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Q: Martin, Craig Bellamy, someone you signed here, has been touted for the manager’s position full-time. How do you feel about that? Would he be a good fit for the club?

Martin O’Neill: “Craig? Well, I think he’s done exceptionally well. First of all, he was an assistant, wasn’t he? And then he’s become manager of Wales, and he’s given them an enormous lift, really. I know the result, he got beaten by Belgium. But overall, yeah. The thing I’ve always remembered about Craig, he is a student of the game. He is, even just as a player. Sometimes people just play the game and wouldn’t know the history of anything at all. Seriously, I think you could ask him. Don’t. You could ask him who won the FA Cup in 1893. He probably would know it.” (Notts County is the answer in case you’re wondering).

Continues on the next page…

Q: Just going back to (the)Rangers, you obviously made those comments on talkSPORT when you said that (the)Rangers are so far adrift. Would you then see it as a big shock if your team weren’t to win on Sunday?

Martin O’Neill: “So far adrift in the league, I was talking about. I know I’ve been used to having my words tangled around here for 20-odd years or 20-odd years ago. So, yeah, don’t try that, young man. Yeah, far adrift in terms of… When you say this here, Hearts were eight points clear of us and then a number of points clear then. And that’s a deficit. I didn’t say about a deficit of catching up with us at the time. So let me make that clear.”

Mark Viduka celebrates Goal Celtic v Rangers 27 December 1999Photo: Mary Evans Allstar Richard Sellers

Q: Can you tell us about the landscape, the change of landscape of Scottish football from the time when you were managing? Think of the players then, think of the money then, think of the players now, think of the money now. Is that a huge gulf and what do you make of it?

27 August 2000: Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton of Celtic celebrate after the Scottish Premier League match against Rangers at Celtic Park. Celtic won the game 6 – 2. Photo: Stu Forster /Allsport

Martin O’Neill: “I think you’ve just mentioned it. I think that’s exactly right. You know, I stepped in in the year 2000 and if you look at the Rangers side that we were up against, it was really terrific. And then I had some really good players. Was able, when Mark Viduka left for £6 million, I was able to, and this is in the year 2000, I was able to turn that over on Chris Sutton. And I would have wanted Mark Viduka to stay because then I would have never met Chris Sutton! But he did fantastically for me, and so I’m very appreciative of what he did. But what I’m saying to you, you’re talking about the landscape, the difference in the landscape and it’s probably all down to do with the money.”

Kieran Tierney of Celtic arrives at the stadium prior to the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD3 match between Celtic FC and SK Sturm Graz at Celtic Park on October 23, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: Kieran, you said he should be OK. Saracchi didn’t train today, is he going to be OK?

Marcelo Saracchi of Celtic controls the ball during the Premier League match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Martin O’Neill: “He’s, yeah, I think he will be OK. He’ll be OK. I thought he did really, really well for us.”

Q: And just a word you said you make a decision on your selections tomorrow, but Johnny getting the two goals the other night, does that make your selection easier or more difficult

Martin O’Neill: “Probably more difficult really. But yeah, I genuinely, seriously, will have a think about it all today when everybody’s got through this, or more likely tomorrow morning.”

Daizen Maeda of Celtic celebrates in the penalty shoot out during the Premier Sports Cup Final between Celtic and Rangers at Hampden Park on December 15, 2024. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Q: Just to find out what you mean on that, if I may, is Daizen fit enough to play 90, do you think, if you do choose that?

Martin O’Neill: “Again, you’re… I will get my physiotherapist in here now, just in five minutes.”

Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter, signed copies by Danny McGrain available from celticstarbooks.com

Don’t miss the chance to purchase the late, great Celtic historian David Potter’s final book. All remaining copies have been signed by the legendary Celtic captain Danny McGrain PLUS you’ll also receive a FREE copy of David Potter’s Willie Fernie biography – Putting on the Style, and you’ll only be charged for postage on one book. Order from Celtic Star Books HERE.

Celtic in the Eighties and Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style both by David Potter. Photo The Celtic Star

Danny McGrain signing copies of Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Photo: Celtic Star Books