Martin O’Neill jokingly reveals item he stole from Celtic before leaving | OneFootball

Martin O’Neill has jokingly revealed his intention to steal a team tracksuit before departing Celtic FC after a successful interim spell in charge.

O’Neill took charge temporarily five weeks ago after the resignation of Brendan Rodgers and the 73-year-old’s return to the club he managed to great success between 2000 and 2005 has been a shot in the arm to everyone at Parkhead.

Five straight wins in the Scottish Premiership, including a battling 1-0 win over Dundee on Wednesday evening, have eradicated the eight-point deficit to league leaders Hearts with the clubs now level on points and Celtic having a game in hand ahead of a huge clash between them this Sunday.

O’Neill won’t be in charge for that fixture, with the affable Northern Irishman ending his interim tenure after the Dundee win as Wilfried Nancy leaves Major League Soccer side Columbus Crew to become the new permanent boss.

O’Neill exits with Celtic in a much better spot than when he stepped into the breech over a month ago and suggested he would be taking a souvenir to remember the experience by.

"Do you know what? I'm going to take the tracksuit,” he said in his post-match press conference following the Dundee victory.. "Steven, the kit man, he doesn't know, but I'm putting this in the bag. Seriously, absolutely. I'm definitely taking this.”

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Martin O'Neill has loved his time back at Celtic (Getty Images)

Although he never had any designs on earning the job permanently, O’Neill admitted he had loved being back at Celtic Park and helping his old club out.

“It really has [been the time of my life], you know, seriously,” he said. “It’s like a complete blur.

"I was secretly hoping that Easter Road [a 2-1 victory over Hibernian on Sunday] was going to be the last game, so I didn't want to make a mess of it tonight.

“I thought that we needed a second goal. We just never really got that together and then you start to get nervous a wee bit towards the end. But we won. It wasn't the most flamboyant of victories. But three points on the board keeps it going.”

After being informed that Hearts had dropped points against Kilmarnock to ensure that eight-point deficit was completely eradicated during his interim spell, O’Neill was understandably satisfied.

“It just shows you,” he added. “So they’ve got a superior goal difference? But we've got the game in hand. That's been brilliant.

“I must admit, even to cut the gap at all during the time would have been decent. But to bring it right back, that was fantastic.”

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O’Neill has done a superb job to eradicate Celtic’s deficit at the top of the Scottish Premiership (Steve Welsh/PA Wire)

Nancy faces a baptism of fire at the helm with that top-of-the-table clash with Hearts on Sunday followed by a crunch Europa League tie against Italian giants Roma on Thursday and then the League Cup final against St Mirren at Hampden Park three days later.

The Frenchman has signed a contract until 2028 and is eager to get started in Glasgow.

He described his appointment as a “massive honour” and thanked O’Neill and Shaun Maloney for their “fantastic” work before adding: “Now it's up to me to carry on this great work and carry our great club forward and I can't wait to get going and become part of such a brilliant institution.

“Celtic is one of the world's proper football clubs, real atmosphere and heart and soul, real high standards and real demands, which I am ready for. I know the history, I know the values of Celtic and I know what is expected of me on this journey.

“I know what Celtic means to so many people and my number one aim will be simple – to give our fans a strong, exciting, attacking, winning football team they can be so proud of.”