BIRTHDAY BHOY MARTIN – 74 TODAY – AND THE LAST IBROX HURRAH

MARTIN O’NEILL will celebrate his 74th birthday in the unlikely setting of a hostile Ibrox this afternoon.

For a man recognised as a winner, this is yet another encounter to test his credentials.

Celtic go into the match in the realisation a victory would give them a point advantage AND a game in hand on Danny Rohl’s side.

Pacesetters Hearts picked up three more points in their 1-0 success over Aberdeen at Tynecastle yesterday to open up a nine-point gap on the champions, but have played two extra games.

So, a triumph in Govan in the High Noon showdown would be the perfect victory gift for the charismatic son of Kilrea.

HAMPDEN HOORAY…Martin O’Neill acknowledges the Celtic fans with the backfrop of empty seats in the Rangers end at the national stadium following the champions’ 3-1 Premier Sports League Cup semi-final extra-time triumph in November. 

O’Neill would settle for the same result the last time he visited the venue – back on the afternoon of April 24 2005. On that occasion, the Hoops emerged victorious when first-half goals from Stiliyan Petrov and Craig Bellamy handed them a 2-1 win.

Steven Thompson claimed the home side’s consolation effort near the end.

The Celtic team that day was: Marshall; Agathe, Balde, Varga, McNamara; Petrov, Lennon, Thompson; Sutton, Bellamy (sub: Beattie 48; sub: Wallace 90), Hartson. Unused subs: Douglas, Henchoz, Lambert, Maloney and McGeady.

Afterwards, O’Neill, then a mere 53 years of age, said: “I am delighted to have won here. We had to be very, very strong, we had to be good and I think we deserved to win.

“I would have been disappointed if we had not taken all three points.”

Let’s hope the Birthday Bhoy is making similar comments later this afternoon!

*DON’T miss the unbeatable match reports and best action images from Rangers v Celtic this afternoon – only in your champion CQN.