Martin O’Neill sets up Wilfried Nancy for. Special First Week as Celtic Manager | OneFootball

New Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy today arrived at Celtic’s training centre at Lennoxtown and immediately got down to work introducing himself to the Celtic players working in the gym – including veteran winger James Forrest…

Nancy took some time to chat to a trio of Celtic Academy players and there was also a reunion with one of his former players, Alistair Johnston with the pair having worked together at CF Montréal.

Celtic’s CEO Michael Nicholson and CFO Chris McKay met Nancy at the front door before heading up stairs towards the Celtic manager’s office, that was vacated by Brendan Rodgers after two and a half years at the end of October following back-to-back Scottish Premiership defeats against Dundee and Hearts.

Two decades after leaving Celtic, Martin O’Neill was back

After Rodgers resignation offer was accepted by the Celtic Board, Martin O’Neill returned to Celtic after ending his own successful five year spell in charge of the club in 2005. Twenty years later, with O’Neill now in his 70s, he was back as interim manager and tasked with restoring confidence in the squad and trying to arrest the decline that had seen Hearts open up an unlikely eight points gap that Derek McInnes’ side had established with such an impressive start to their league campaign.

Shaun Maloney and Martin O’Neill at Celtic Park on October 28, 2025 (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

O’Neill also had the task of getting the better of theRangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final and given the fact that Celtic had failed to beat latest Ibrox club since December 2024 that was going to be challenging.

Then there was the Europa League for the veteran to concern himself with. O’Neill won two European Cups playing on the right wing for Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest. And just before he got the call from Dermot Desmond, Celtic principal shareholder, Martin O’Neill was working for a broadcaster at The City ground as Forest took on Danish outfit FC Midtjylland in the Europa League.

Martin O’Neill was well aware of how powerful FC Midtjylland  could be

The visitors won that one 3-2 and O’Neill described them as too powerful for the Premier League club. Little did he know that he’d soon be back in football management at faced with the task of playing the Danish outfit at their own stadium as the manager of Celtic. It went just as O’Neill thought it would – badly with FC Midtjylland running out deserving 3-1 winners. That though would be Martin O’Neill one and only match that he didn’t win during his interim manager spell.

Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney celebrate Celtic’s opening goal during the Premier League match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on October 29, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

O’Neill opened up with a thumping 4-0 victory over Falkirk

It started on 29 October with a 4-0 in over Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership as O’Neill demonstrated that he had “tools like the pro pick em” when managing Celtic for a second time. Next Martin’s Celtic side defeated theRangers 3-1 in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final before being brought back down to earth with a bang after that defeat in Denmark. O’Neill then took Celtic into the international break with another 4-0 victory at Celtic Park, this time against Kilmarnock.

Martin O’Neill, Interim Manager of Celtic, reacts during the Premier Sports Cup Semi Final match between Celtic and theRangers at Hampden Park on November 02, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Martin O’Neill won the next four matches

As the pursuit of the new manager continued in the background Martin O’Neill would end up taking the team into another four matches – and he won them all including a never to be forgotten 3-1 win in Rotterdam over Feyenoord. And nine points from nine were collected in the league away to St Mirren and Hibs – both tough venues to visit – and at home to Dundee last night.

3rd December 2025 Celtic Park, Scottish Premiership FCeltic versus Dundee Celtic interim manager Martin O Neill drags forward Celtic interim assistant manager Shaun Maloney to get acclaim at the end of his last match in charge. Photo David Young IMAGO

O’Neill had not only narrowed the gap, he closed it entirely

That latest win saw Celtic draw level on points with Hearts and the Hoops also have a game in hand. Martin O’Neill had not only narrowed the gap, he closed it entirely.

Meanwhile Wilfried Nancy’s first three matches, across three different competition, have all been set up perfectly for him by the interim manager who last night said his goodbyes to the Celtic supporters and then the Celtic players.

A debut win for Wilfried Nancy will see Celtic go clear at the top of the table

On Sunday Celtic play Hearts at Celtic Park where a debut victory for Nancy will see his team open up a three points lead at the top of the table, with the additional cushion of a game in hand. Then a week tonight, Italian giants Roma are in Glasgow to take on Celtic in the Europa League, where a Celtic win would see the team move to ten points, and with it likely qualification for the play-offs, with two games to play in January that could even result in a top eight finish.

And a week later Nancy could be lifting silverware at Hampden

Then on Sunday 14 December, Wilfried Nancy will take his side to Hampden Park as Celtic look to retain the Premier Sports Cup with St Mirren being the other finalists. Thanks to Martin O’Neill, Wilfried Nancy could be lifting his first silverware in his first few weeks in the job.

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