‘He’s an absolute warrior’ – O’Neill finds one Celtic positive from Ibrox defeat | OneFootball

Martin O’Neill singled out Colby Donovan for praise following Celtic’s disappointing 3-0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox.

13th September 2026; Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow, Scotland; Scottish League Cup Football, Rangers versus Celtic; Djeidi Gassama of Rangers challenges Colby Donovan of Celtic

The Hoops deservedly crashed out of the Premier Sports Cup after a poor derby performance, but O’Neill believes the 20-year-old defender emerged from the defeat with considerable credit.

Donovan endured some difficult moments but continued competing despite picking up a first-half booking, with his attitude and determination earning praise from the Celtic boss.

Speaking after the game, O’Neill told The Celtic Way: “It could have changed. Me personally, I think young Colby has come out of this with great credit. I think he’s an absolute warrior.

“Sometimes we misplace passes, but he’s got a big heart. I think we can all learn from that. And because of the size of his heart, he was booked in the first half, but he kept going right to the end.

“He was booked against St Mirren after about eight or nine minutes, still kept going. In terms of heart and desire, he’s been a big plus for us.”

There were few positives for Celtic to take from a damaging afternoon at Ibrox, with O’Neill and his players facing significant criticism following their cup exit.

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