CELTIC have acknowledged the “great debt of gratitude” they owe Martin O’Neill and his backroom staff during a turbulent season for the club.
The 73-year-old Irishman has stepped up twice to answer the call to take charge of the team.
O’Neill, who spent five years at Parkhead after his initial arrival in June 2000, returned in an interim capacity in late October following the rapid exit of Brendan Rodgers in the wake of back-to-back Premiership losses at Dundee and Hearts.
OUT…a grim-faced Brendan Rodgers after Celtic’s 2-0 loss at Dundee on October 19.
The veteran gaffer achieved seven wins in eight games – the only defeat coming in the Europa League against FC Midtjylland in Denmark – before making way for Wilfried Nancy on December 3.
O’Neill was back in control just over a month later after the Frenchman’s catastrophic 33 days as Hoops boss in which the club lost six of his eight outings.
The stand-in gaffer will take the team for the tenth time in his second comeback in the crucial league encounter against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park tomorrow afternoon.
O’Neill is unbeaten in the previous nine games with four wins and a draw in the Premiership, two victories in the Scottish Cup and a success and a draw in the Europa League.
OUT…Wilfried Nancy looks down after Celtic’s 2-1 loss at Dundee United on December 17, the Frenchman’s fourth consecutive defeat.
As he revealed the club’s most recent financial performance, acting chairman Brian Wilson said: “We witnessed a great deal of change and disruption in the six months to December 31 2025.
“After winning our fourth successive league title last season and the 13th in 14 seasons, we were looking forward to the next campaign with positivity.
“We had no prior warning of the resignation of our then first team manager.
“Our exit from the Champions League in August 2025 was a bitter blow. Following the departure of Brendan Rodgers in October, stability was restored by Martin O’Neill and his backroom team before we appointed Wilfried Nancy in early December.
“Appointing a manager in mid-season inevitably comes with challenges and regrettably the implementation of Wilfried’s style and ideas did not achieve our immediate objective of winning games and we took the difficult decision to part company with Wilfried in January 2026.”
IN…interim manager Martin O’Neill who has lost only once in his 17 games.
Wilson, speaking in a club statement, continued: “We again turned to Martin, Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham and their backroom colleagues to steer the club through to the coming summer and are pleased to have seen Celtic return to winning football matches in early 2026.
“We owe them and the players, who have also had to deal with change and uncertainty, a great debt of gratitude.”
Wilson added: “I take this opportunity to recognise Peter Lawwell’s exceptional service to the club. Peter had a long and extremely successful period at Celtic as CEO and latterly as Chairman.
“His commitment to the ethos and values of Celtic Football Club was second to none and future generations will look back on his contribution with the appreciation and respect it is due.”
INTERIMS HAUNTED BY TWO YEARS OF KEY METRIC DISFUNCTION
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