Celtic v St Mirren – Everything said at Martin O’Neill’s Media Conference

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The Celtic Star

·17 April 2026

Celtic v St Mirren – Everything said at Martin O’Neill’s Media Conference

Martin O’Neill spoke to the mainstream media this afternoon ahead of Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park against St Mirren. Here’s everything that was said…

St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Martin, it’s a return to Hampden this weekend. How much do you enjoy the occasion and the spectacle of these big series finals?

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Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, I’m looking forward to it, I really am. I thought that the last time I was there would have been the last time. But I’ve got an opportunity for a semi-final and, yeah, really looking forward to it.”

Q: I remember you said after the last semi-final that you’d secretly have loved to still be in charge for the final?

Martin O’Neill: “That’s probably true, really, at the time. But I think the club had gone down, a long way down, with Wilfried Nancy at the time. So I kind of understood that. So it was just a rather selfish thought at the time.”

Martin O’Neill of Celtic applauds the fans after winning his last game in charge, The Tennents Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Dundee United, at Hampden Park on May 28, 2005. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Q: How much would you love another crack at a major final?

Martin O’Neill: “Oh, that would be lovely if we could do it, yeah. But I think St Mirren won’t be… They’ll obviously take great confidence from the fact that they won recently, played very well last week against us. And two, the last time they played each other at Hampden, they won the cup.”

Q: Have you ever allowed yourself to dream, I guess, of that perfect final day yet? Of course, that would be the very last game of the season, the Scottish Cup Final.

Martin O’Neill: “I was a dreamer. I was a dreamer of realism at one stage or another. But no, I have absolutely not done that at all. You’re talking about trying to get to the cup final?”

Martin O’Neill of Celtic celebrates victory with his players after his last game in charge after winning the Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Dundee United at Hampden Park on May 28, 2005. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Q: Yeah, just the story of your last ever game being the Scottish Cup final and potentially lifting the trophy?

Martin O’Neill: “Genuinely, I have not done, honestly. I don’t think we are good enough to dream that far down the line.”

Q: What does the Scottish Cup mean to you, Martin? Obviously, you’ve had great success in it.

Martin O’Neill: “Loved it. Loved the competition. I know I’ve said this ad nauseum to the lads here about when the only game that was ever live on TV was the FA Cup final. You’d be getting moments of the Scottish Cup final. I’m talking about when I was growing up as a kid. Not that I ever thought that I’d be participating in it. But, yeah, it’s a great competition. It’s got a lot of history. And, yeah, I just like to be part of it.”

Q: It’s obviously a great way for any club to finish off a season?

Martin O’Neill: “It is, yeah. We did it way back in 2005. It really was kind of bittersweet in many aspects because we’d lost the league the previous week.”

Q: Do you think this game can have a positive knock-on effect for the rest of the season?

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, I think so. Yeah, that’s right. If we can win the game, it definitely would have a positive effect. No question about that. Similarly, and quite the opposite, I suppose, really, it could have a poor effect on us. But we’re going all out to try and win the game.”

Premier Sports Cup Final. 14 December 2025. St Mirren v Celtic. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)

Q: What did you see from St Mirren at the weekend? It was maybe different to previously?

Martin O’Neill: “Well, first of all, I have to say, I think Stephen Robinson did brilliantly at the football club. They won a trophy and they were in there competing. It’s always been difficult, particularly the budgets that they would have and things like this. So he did wonderfully well and played, I thought, to St Mirren’s strengths, which is part of really good management at the end of it all. I think that change in management, probably change in the manner in which they play. If I can compare it to us, when I’ve come in here, the way that the team has played for quite a number of years, they don’t really want to change too much.

“Some things that I think, yeah, not sure, but just, I know, yeah, I’m not going to change it because the changes were too far through in the league to try and change things. So I think that that would be good for some sort of comparison with St Mirren as well, to ensure the manager is taking some really good, positive things from what Stephen had done and trying to implement his own character into the team.”

Q: I know you weren’t in the dugout for the league cup final against St Mirren, but for the players, do you think they’ll maybe feel they’ve got a score to settle back at hand and against the same opposition?

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, I would hope so anyway. I would hope that they would want to try and retrieve that situation. It’s gone now, they’ve lost a cup final. So yeah, there’s this chance now to try and do something about it.”

Q: Is that something that you’ve used previously as motivation as a manager or you’ve seen players do it before?

Martin O’Neill: “Yeah, I’m sure I have. Yeah, I’m quite sure that I would have done something like that at some stage or another. But yeah, I would have done.”

Alistair Johnston of Celtic celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier Sports League Cup match between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on August 15, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Q: In terms of injuries, anyone able to make a return for the team?

Martin O’Neill: “Well, I think it’s probably a bit too early now for Alistair Johnson, but he has trained, so that’s really good news. There’s no ill effect at this minute. And I know doing some little small-sided games is not the big game at all, but that’s really encouraging for him to come out. And young Callum Osmand, he’s making progress as well too at the same time. So that’s really encouraging.”

Q: Are those two likely to be more looking towards the league game as well?

Martin O’Neill: “I would have thought so, yeah, definitely. But as I say, Alistair has done really well. Callum came in, to my recollection, a couple of days later. I’ve just seen him out there, so it would be early for him. But I think that had not Alistair taken a setback in Canada, I think he would have been ready for now.”

Liam Scales at Dens Park. Dundee v Celtic. Sunday 5 April 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou

Q: Liam Scales is suspended. Are you confident in whoever does step up?

Martin O’Neill: “Oh yeah, absolutely. I would have no doubts about that. I’ve got two right-footers as well, so Trusty will move over to the left-hand side. But yeah, I’ve got lots of confidence in Benjamin Arthur and Dane Murray.”

Neil Lennon working as a pundit after Dunfermline Athletic beat Hibernian yesterday during the Scottish Cup Fourth Round match between Auchinleck Talbot and Celtic at Rugby Park on January 18, 2026. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)

Q: Can I ask you about the other semi-finals, specifically the job Neil Lennon’s doing at Dunfermline?

Martin O’Neill: “Well, first of all, the two managers have done brilliantly. Brilliantly. Really brilliantly. And Neil, who’s obviously a big part of my managerial life anyway, has done great. It’s no surprise to me. I think he’s a top-class manager. His record, both as a player and as a manager himself, is quite extraordinary. Really, it’s extraordinary. I know the tough times during COVID and things like this here, but overall, his record is fantastic.”

Q: If your team was to do the business on Sunday and his team were to do the business on Saturday, how would you feel coming up against them?

Martin O’Neill: “I have the utmost regard for him, it’s been brilliant. And I think I’ve said before, had I not signed him from Leicester, I might not be sitting here with you, but I’d say he’s been brilliant.”

Callum Osmand scores. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Q: Callum Osmand returning, possibly, to the league games. There’s obviously been issues throughout the season with the central striking role. I think he only played three games earlier on in the season. Do you feel he is capable of going in and making an impact?

Martin O’Neill: “Well, it’s a really good point. Yeah, he was coming off the bench in some of those matches and was making an impact, particularly in the semi-final, the cup semi-final against Rangers, and that was great news. And he was really building confidence as well to make the penalty, although we were well and truly second or third best against Midtjylland But he came on there, made the penalty, got in behind a couple of times and looked really sharp, and then picks up the injury. So I think over time, I think he’ll be a really decent player for us.”

Watch Martin O’Neill’s media conference below…

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