Copyright glasgowworld
Martin O’Neill has broken his silence after joining the interim Celtic management team. The former Hoops boss who became a hero of the support between 2000-2005 has returned to the dugout after Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation. He joins forces with player pathways manager Shaun Maloney ahead of Wednesday’s Premiership clash with Falkirk and a Premier Sports Cup semi final with Rangers comes this Sunday. O’Neill has managed Aston Villa - where he worked with Maloney - Sunderland, Republic of Ireland and Nottingham Forest since leaving Celtic. Now speaking on talkSPORT, the Irishman last in the game back in 2019 has provided his verdict on returning to Celtic. He says the Hoops are looking for a young coach, and that he is purely an interim solution. He said: “I got a call late afternoon, early evening yesterday, from Dermot Desmond and Dermot asked me would I step in because Brendan had resigned from the football club. It's obviously the shock news really as much as anything else shocked me as well but just to step into the breach and just do it on a short-term basis until a permanent manager is appointed. “Like everything else I took a gasp of breath and thought is this real or surreal. It's difficult really to turn down somebody who gave you the job in the first place when he had some great options way back 25 years ago. So from that viewpoint, maybe from the time that I pulled myself off the floor, I probably thought then maybe I should do it. “It's short-term. Celtic I think are probably stunned by the news that Brendan left and as a consequence they are obviously are seeking a permanent manager. This is like a short-term, I didn't really want to say a fix but it's certainly a short-term fit anyway, whether it's a fix or not's another thing. Why has Martin O’Neill gone back to Celtic? “Interim does mean that to me absolutely. Yeah it's really as simple as that. Celtic are looking for I would have assumed a young coach coming in now who has a proven ability and would be wanting to pull the club forward now from their position as it stands. That's how I would view it and I suppose if I was a Celtic fan I would absolutely see it. “You have to try and win some football matches and if we can do that, if we can win some football matches and give us a bit of buying time as it were, until a new man is appointed. Well if I'd seen the fixture list I possibly then wouldn't have taken it! It is what it is and it's come as a bit of a shock which I think you can hear from from from my voice as much as anything else. “I'm working with Sean Maloney. Sean and I go back years and years ago when he was a young player with me but he is experienced in management now and he's worked as well too with lots of really good coaches. He himself has been a manager so I will obviously need help and Sean is there to give it to me and hopefully the rest of the backroom staff.”
