Martin O’Neill has been confirmed as Celtic’s permanent manager on a one-year contract with a one-year option, ending more than five months of uncertainty since Wilfried Nancy was sacked. The 74-year-old, who twice stepped in as interim last season, delivered a league and cup double that included a dramatic title decider against Hearts and a Scottish Cup final victory over Dunfermline. “It is once again a great privilege for me to continue as Celtic manager,” O’Neill said. “Last season will live long in all our memories and to be part of that success has in a big way whetted the appetite to work again for more days like those and bring our supporters those moments.”
O’Neill’s appointment came after Robbie Keane held talks with principal shareholder Dermot Desmond, but the potential move was met with a furious backlash by an element of the support who objected to Keane’s managerial spell in Israel. Desmond instead turned to O’Neill, describing him as “a winner” and “the outstanding candidate to give us the best opportunity to realise our objectives”. He indicated the club would “support Martin fully again across the close season to make sure we are well prepared to achieve domestic success and compete on the European stage.”
“Martin O'Neill confirmed as Celtic manager on one-year deal after winning domestic double as interim.”
The former Leicester and Aston Villa manager won nine major honours in his first spell at Celtic from 2000 to 2005, including a Uefa Cup final appearance. But this time the task is different. After a chaotic campaign that brought two managerial exits and serious unrest between fans and the club, Celtic’s season became about simply getting by – and they got by while winning, finishing with a nine-match winning streak. Fans will not dwell on unconvincing performances, but next term they will want more substance. Much depends on O’Neill having a full pre-season and improvements to a heavily criticised transfer policy. Exits are expected for Daizen Maeda, Arne Engels and Reo Hatate.
The new domestic season begins on 1 August, and two days later Celtic will discover their Champions League play‑off opponents. The two legs will be played before the end of the month. A humiliating defeat at the same stage a year ago against Kairat Almaty set the tone for Brendan Rodgers’ eventual resignation. O’Neill showed signs of his European pedigree again with a Europa League win at Feyenoord. “We know of course that Celtic can never rest on past success,” he said. “So we are now aiming to drive forward together in the coming season as we aim to deliver again for the club and our fans.”