2026-02-07 12:34:42
Martin O’Neill was apprehensive about returning to Celtic.
The Northern Irish coach initially made a temporary return to the Scottish champions after Brendan Rodgers resigned in October – before coming back for a second interim spell until the end of the season after Wilfried Nancy’s disastrous 33-day tenure ended in the sack last month – but feared that he would be considered “too old” for the position.
O’Neill, 73, told Sky Sports: “The first time that I went back it happened so quickly, Brendan had resigned, I get a call the same afternoon to ask if I would come up and hold the fort.
“Naturally I was worried about it. The reason I was worried about coming back the first time round was that if you don’t win, you’re just considered old, you’re just too old.
“It wasn’t about whether you were going to ruin anything you did a load of years ago but at the end of it all, it was just that you would be considered just too old and you’re not in the new game.”
The coach – who first managed the Glasgow club from 2000 to 2005 – said: “And then (for the second spell) I get a call, asking to come in now to the end of the season. My worry then was, yes, it’s a wee bit longer this time, we’ve got ground to catch up again and I suppose I had the same fears and worries about it, whether we can do it, because games start to run down.”
Celtic are embroiled in a battle for the Scottish Premiership title with arch rivals Rangers and surprise package Hearts but O’Neill does not consider his team favourites as they trail the Edinburgh side by six points at the top of the table – even though they have won the league in 13 of the past 14 seasons.
He said: “At this stage of the season, with the games running down, you would have to say absolutely (that Hearts are favourites). Let me put it this way, I’d like to be six points clear.”
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