There are many reasons why Celtic won the Premiership title this season.
But if there is one game you want to put on the table, then it’s Celtic’s comeback win against Kilmarnock in the middle of February.
Julian Araujo’s last-gasp winner at Rugby Park was a joy to behold, and one of the standout moments and memories from a campaign of chaos.
On the other side of the dugout, you had familiar faces in Neil McCann and Billy Dodds, with the latter hailing Martin O’Neill on Go Radio for his ‘class’ actions after that game, including paying the opposition a visit, which he feels is now ‘a thing of the past.’
“He came in after the game,” said Dodds when reflecting on the season. “Not a lot of managers do nowadays. It was a thing of the past – He showed a true bit of class by coming into the dressing room, the staff room after the game.”
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Martin O’Neill hailed for ‘keeping his dignity’ by Billy Dodds
It’s an obvious thing to say, but O’Neill is old school, and it does seem as though times have changed in the dugout.
The modern-day manager no longer has a drink after the match with the opposition coach.
But given that Dodds, who is assistant to McCann at Kilmarnock, is cut from the same cloth as O’Neill, then it’s understandable why he appreciated the Celtic boss’s efforts.
Of course, everyone remembers Celtic going 2-0 down, and it seems as though O’Neill told Dodds that it could have and should have been a lot more.
But like the champions of Scotland did all season long, they showcased their comeback powers, as Dodds discussed that game.
Paul Cooney: “Martin O’Neill, he is a one-off, isn’t he? You came up against him a quarter of a century ago when he was at his pomp at Celtic.
“But the record books, when you look back. He came back in 2025 and 2026, and he won the double.”
Dodds: “We also come against us when they beat us 3-2, when we first went to Kilmarnock. He came in after the game. Not a lot of managers do nowadays.
“It was a thing of the past. He came in and said, ‘You could have been four or five up.’ We were really good that day. It was the start of something.
“He still keeps his dignity, and he still makes sure. I think he would have done so in defeat as well. But he came in, had a word with Neil (McCann) and myself. Even though it’s hard to take at the time.
“But you understand from a man of his stature what it means, and you take out of it what you can and try to make yourselves better. He showed a true bit of class by coming into the dressing room, the staff room after the game.”
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