Martin O’Neill on his poorest decision as Celtic manager | OneFootball

Martin O’Neill has reflected on a major transfer regret from his Celtic tenure, admitting that bringing in Juninho, turned out to be one of his poorest decisions as manager…

Celtic’s Juninho is congratulated by manager Martin O’Neill after being substituted. Photo IMAGO

The Brazilian World Cup winner joined Celtic on a free transfer from Middlesbrough in September 2004, but despite the initial buzz surrounding his arrival, it quickly became clear that the move wasn’t working out.

Juninho featured 22 times for the Hoops across all competitions, finding the net only once – a goal against Hearts in the Scottish Cup. Frequently deployed out of position or excluded from the squad altogether, he failed to make a consistent impact and had slipped down the pecking order by the early months of 2005.

Juninho would later express his disappointment over his transfer to the club, claiming he was never given a sustained opportunity to play in his preferred position. Meanwhile, O’Neill maintained that the midfielder struggled to adapt to the demands of Scottish football and the tactical setup of his Celtic side.

IMAGO / Allstar. Juninho & John Hartson, Celtic v Hearts Celtic Park 16 October 2004 Photo Allstar/Richard Selle

Speaking via Daily Record, the former Celtic boss said: “In terms of worst signings, actually funnily enough, I actually signed a Brazilian player, Juninho, who had been wonderful for Middlesbrough, really terrific footballer for Middlesbrough.”

“In fact, I had to man-mark him in the 1997 League Cup final for Middlesbrough versus Leicester because he had destroyed us a couple of weeks earlier in a league game at Filbert Street.”

“So he was a really good player. But by the time that I’d signed him, he had been at Middlesbrough, I think three times, you know, back and forward. So he had lost the edge. He was no longer the player he was.”

Juninho starred in the win over Aberdeen

O’Neill added: “And I suppose maybe I thought that for periods we could actually rejuvenate him, but it never really materialised.”

“But we didn’t pay any money for him at the end of the day. He came on a free transfer. And in truth, I think that his great days had certainly passed by that time.”

Although the deal didn’t cause major financial damage to the club, Juninho is still remembered as one of Celtic’s most high-profile transfers that failed to deliver – a talented player who never quite fit the timing or the tactical approach of O’Neill’s Celtic team.

Conor Spence

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