Both Celtic and Hearts surprised their supporters when they named their teams for their titanic title tussle at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon.
For Martin O’Neill’s side, there was no Reo Hatate in the matchday squad, with Callum Osmand returning, while Derek McInnes left out Claudio Braga from his starting XI.
But after Celtic beat Hearts to retain the title, including Osmand scoring right at the death to put the cherry on top of the cake, there were jubilant scenes inside the home dressing room.
It also included a certain Hatate, who was embraced with a massive hug by O’Neill, when footage of the celebrations emerged on Sky Sports.
Share us your message to Martin O’Neill, as Celtic down Hearts on the final day…
Celtic players and staff celebrate inside the dressing room
O’Neill has proven once again that class is permanent, and why he is one of the best to ever do it.
At 74 years of age, it would be easy to dismiss O’Neill as a dinosaur in the modern game, a world now seemingly obsessed with tactical buzzwords, playing out from the back, and pampered footballers.
But the legendary Celtic coach has proven that he can still compete right at the top, and one of the main reasons behind this is his incredible management skills.
Looking at the joyous celebrations in the Celtic Park dressing room, it is clear just how drastically O’Neill has shifted the mood.
He inherited a squad that was flat, broken, and nearly beyond repair, and he has successfully ushered in the sunshine to replace the rain.
Don’t get it twisted, Celtic still need a major clearout this summer, but the reason why this team could go on to win the domestic double is because of O’Neill, and his ability to keep every single individual on board.
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