Martin O’Neill says that this weekend’s Glasgow Derby will likely be his last.
It’s also one of his biggest, with every point set to count for Celtic and Hearts for the remainder of the Scottish Premiership season.
Rangers may be out of the race, but for O’Neill’s men, victory is essential to keep their Scottish Premiership hopes alive.
Ahead of the seismic fixture, O’Neill has been speaking to the media.
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Martin O’Neill: Celtic Glasgow Derby will ‘most likely’ be his last
Earlier this week, Stephen McGowan revealed that O’Neill was speaking to agents of Celtic targets ahead of the summer, an indication that he will stay beyond the summer.
Regardless, asked if this weekend’s clash will be his last, the interim boss said: “I would say most likely.”
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On whether anything will be different about this derby in particular, he said: “You would have to say it’s out of Rangers’ hands. That’s the only thing that’s changed.
“That’s not to say that you would rule them out. But at this minute with games running out, it’s out of their hands.”
He continued: “It’s an Old Firm game so regardless of what the result was before, I think it’ll be a strong Rangers side and a big reaction, so we’ve got to be ready for that.
“The place will be rocking, there seems a bit of unison within the club at the moment, which is good news. The players have fed on that, so it’ll be strong”
On whether the stadium is now feeling more unified than ever, he said: “There was a bit of ill-feeling at the time and there didn’t seem a united football club.
“I wasn’t sure if it affected the likes of Maeda and Hatate and things like that.
“There’s no doubt about it, the crowd in full voice cheering the team on, even allowing for mistakes, has been very positive and I think it’s rubbed off on the players.”
Hearts face Motherwell before a ball is kicked at Parkhead. By the end of next weekend, the Premiership trophy will have been lifted.
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