MARTIN O’NEILL won three titles in his five years at Celtic after his initial arrival in June 2000.
The Irishman, of course, swept to a breathtaking treble in his remarkable debut season following his move from Leicester City.
The first championship was delivered when Tommy Johnston snapped up an opportunity to claim the only goal of the game against St Mirren at Parkhead on Sunday April 7 2001.
One day short of a full year, O’Neill’s side retained the silverware with a flourish and a swagger as they roared to the crown with an awesome total of 103 three points, dwarfing the previous term’s best of 97.
The Parkhead men went 18 games undefeated until they slipped to their solitary loss against Aberdeen at Pittodrie, 2-0 three days before Christmas.
CROWNING GLORY…Martin O’Neill proudly holds aloft one of three Premiership titles he won as Celtic manager between 2000/05.
However, with four games still to play, O’Neill’s second successive league title was wrapped up on a pleasant April 6 afternoon in 2002 in front of 59,752 cavorting fans when Henrik Larsson fired in a supreme hat-trick and John Hartson added two in a rampant 5-1 success over Livingston.
As the interim manager prepares for this evening’s meeting with the West Lothian club, he may even see the encounter as an omen as he chases the Hoops’ fifth successive flag.
Livi, managed by Jim Leishman, had been the surprise packets of the season and were sitting in fourth place and determined to gatecrash the party.
Larsson wrecked their plans inside three minutes when Paul Lambert and Hartson combined to set up the Swede and he did the rest with his customary aplomb from six yards
GOAL-DEN BHOYS…hat-trick ace Henrik Larsson is congratulated by two-goal John Hartson in the 5-1 win over Livingston to seal the 2001/02 title.
Hartson added a second in 19 minutes when he volleyed a cross from Didier Agathe behind Javier Sanchez Broto, the Spanish keeper who would join up with the champions in the summer.
The netminder was helpless again when Hartson headed in No.3 six minutes later when he got on the end of a clever delivery from Steve Guppy and the ex-Leicester City winger was the provider again for Larsson to knock in the fourth just beyond the half-hour mark.
Larsson claimed the matchball with his third goal on the hour mark and it was left to Barry Wilson to give the small travelling support something to cheer by steering an effort past Rab Douglas late on.
At the final whistle, the Swedish superstar smiled: “You never get used to winning trophies. It feels absolutely fantastic.
“The title is the trophy we have been playing for all season and the way we did it was tremendous.”
FOR THE RECORD: Martin O’Neill completed his title hat-trick when Stiliyan Petrov scored the only goal of the game against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Sunday April 18 2004.
*DON’T miss the unbeatable match report from Celtic v Livingston tonight – only in your champion CQN.
