“I’m going to see if I can do my best,” Martin O’Neill

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The Celtic Star

·7 January 2026

“I’m going to see if I can do my best,” Martin O’Neill

Martin O’Neill has revealed the light-hearted reaction from his family after letting them know of his latest return to the Celtic dugout…

Celtic v Falkirk 29.10.2025 Scottish Premiership. Martin O’Neill, Shaun Maloney, Gavin Strachan and Mark Fotheringham Photo Kenny Ramsay IMAGO

The 73 year-old will begin another interim spell in charge after Celtic moved quickly to sack Wilfried Nancy, whose disastrous tenure lasted 33 days which ended on Monday afternoon.

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Having previously been drafted in following Brendan Rodgers’ resignation in October, O’Neill explained that news of a third stint at the helm was met with mixed and tongue-in-cheek responses from those closest to him, as he prepares once more to take charge of the Hoops.

Speaking via Celtic’s official YouTube channel, O’Neill explained how his family took the news. “They[were exactly the same,” he said.

Martin O’Neill, Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month for November 2025. Image SPFL

“Honestly, my two daughters were really, really delighted, ‘Go for it, Dad!’, they said. “My wife said, ‘You’ll mess it, you’ll mess it up!’ But she said that the last time, and she’s claiming she didn’t, but she did, so it’s the same thing, but I think there’s a real, genuine excitement about this, so go for it.”

Speaking on his return to the club, just over a month after leaving, O’Neill added: “I have to say, [my return] is every bit as strange as it was the first time. I think if you ever needed proof of anything, we’re in the results business, you have to win some football matches, you know?”

“I’ve known that myself in the course of my career. It’s, in one aspect, really nice to be back. Other ones, I genuinely feel for a manager who has had little time to get his feet under the table, I suppose, put his plans across, and things like that.”

“So, yeah, it happens. But I’m here now, so I’m going to see if I can do my best.”

Martin will be well aware that the main priority is to win the league and that is going to be quite a challenge after Celtic shipped so many points under the short-lived but extremely costly Wilfried Nancy reign. Both Hearts and theRangers left Celtic Park with the points in matches Celtic should have won.

03.01.2026 Celtic v theRangers, Scottish Premiership. Brian Wilson, Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay. Photo Kenny Ramsay IMAGO / News Licensing

The decision to appoint Nancy must be up there with the craziest ever made in Celtic’s history yet there has been no apology and no accountability from those in the boardroom who made that reckless and ill-considered appointment.

Conor Spence

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