“Nothing will be easy, of course, but it’s an exciting time,” Martin O’Neill | OneFootball

Martin O’Neill dismissed talk that he might stay in charge of Celtic beyond the Premier Sports League Cup final, even though the club has now asked him to continue as caretaker for one more game…

Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney at Easter Road. Sunday 30 November 2025. Hibs v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

O’Neill oversaw a 2-1 win away to Hibs on Sunday, giving him six victories in seven matches as interim boss and cutting the deficit to Premiership leaders Hearts to just two points, with Celtic still holding a game in hand.

What was meant to be O’Neill’s final match in charge has been prolonged, as administrative delays have slowed Wilfried Nancy’s appointment from Columbus Crew, leaving the prospective new Celtic manager still unable to take over.

O’Neill is set to lead the team against Dundee at Celtic Park on Wednesday, acknowledging that it will almost certainly be his last game in charge of the Hoops.

However, with blockbuster fixtures looming against Hearts, Roma, and then St Mirren in the League Cup final, O’Neill was asked whether the club might opt to postpone Nancy’s arrival even longer.

“It’s a wee bit strange to be honest,” admitted O’Neill via Sky Sports. “I was joking that whatever has happened to the paperwork, I have no idea – maybe I’m hiding it! I only found out on Saturday, I genuinely thought this would be my last game.

“In fairness to the new manager coming in, the board have made their decision on that and it’s only fair to him to get in and get his feet under the table and look at the side. He has some really great games to look forward to coming up.

“Nothing will be easy, of course, but it’s an exciting time. I’ve not spoken to the man, but I’m quite sure he would want to get in here as soon as possible, to get going, and at least on the back of good results, and the team now starting to play with the confidence that has prevailed at this football club for some time.”

Question whether he would be disappointed not to be in charge of this month’s cup final encounter against St Mirren at Hampden, the Irishman replied: “No, really. When I’m out of here and the final takes place, I might think about that. Not at the minute, I don’t. And this is my job, my job is just to go in and get things reorganised, for want of a better word, and go out the minute that they say it. So, yeah, that’s the way it is. But, in all of this, we’ve beaten Rangers, and that is massive.”

O’Neill acknowledged that stepping back into management at 73, after a six-year break, has re-energised him, and he hinted that he may be open to considering another role once his spell at Celtic ends.

He said: “It certainly has, just working with young people, with the odd exception at the training ground, has invigorated me, no question about it. Just being around footballers again and seeing how young players think about the game, I’ve learned a lot in the last six weeks.

“I’ve said before, the legacy doesn’t worry me a jot. Coming here and failing worried me more, really failing. That could have happened, but the players and the backroom staff have been brilliant.”

“I was blessed coming in here with young men who I’d managed and have gone on to become excellent coaches. They have been great to me and for me, so I can’t ask for any more. And the players’ response has been terrific, really terrific, especially the Feyenoord game, even if, to me, this one was more important.”

Conor Spence

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