MARTIN O’NEILL lifted his fourth title as Celtic manager in the most dramatic of circumstances with the 3-1 triumph over Hearts at Parkhead yesterday.
It was a nail-biting, emotion-charged occasion as the champions, who started the day a point adrift of the Edinburgh club, went a goal down late in the first-half, but still dug into their reserves of character and determination to pick up their fifth successive crown.
Incredibly, it was the Hoops’ fourteenth championship in 15 years and a record 56th flag.
A breathless O’Neill, with one game to go in his second stint as interim gaffer in a turbulent campaign, said: “It’s surreal and what we didn’t really want to do was to get as close as we’d done and then not win it.
“It’s been a fantastic effort.
THE GLITTERING PRIZE…a proud Martin O’Neill holds aloft the newly-won Premiership silverware after the dramatic 3-1 win over Hearts at Parkhead.
“Last year I came along as a pundit, so a year later to be here as the manager of the football club, is really, really incredible.
“I genuinely can’t believe it. It’s like a dream.”
O’Neill, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “Of the things that Kieran Tierney’s won, he’s said this is the most special and it is really special for me.
“It’s probably because I can’t remember the ones from back on those days!
“I have two grandchildren who were at the game. The three-year-old won’t know what it’s al about – she just keeps saying ‘Celtic, Celtic’. But the seven-year-old will grasp this and that’s just lovely.
“I remember when I was manager of Wycombe Wanderers and my two daughters going across the Wembley pitch when we won the FA Trophy and this is really special for them now.”
NOT A PROBLEM…the banner says it all as Martin O’Neill acknowledges the Celtic support after his fourth title success as Celtic boss.
The 74-year-old Irishman, who now has a Scottish Cup Final against Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline at Hampden to look forward to on Saturday, added: “People keep talking about tactics and positions and everything, but at the end of it, we know that things change during the course of the game.
“That’s when you have to have courage to play the game and compete.
“I remember Tommy Burns once saying that he felt it was more difficult to play for Celtic than against them. Players have to rise to the occasion, with 60,000 people demanding it.”
The Hoops did not let down the fans yesterday when they immediately reacted to Lawrence Shankland’s opening goal in the 43rd minute.
Arne Engels levelled before the interval when he stuck away a stonewall penalty-kick after Alexandros Kyziridis had handled a Kieran Tierney left-wing cross.
Daizen Maeda scored the second in the 87th minute – after an erroneous offside call from a linesman – and comeback Bhoy Callum Osmand, making his first appearance since November, rolled in the third deep in stoppage-time.
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