John Higgins has reflected on meeting Martin O’Neill for a coffee but says that he would’ve liked to see him leave Celtic this summer.
O’Neill’s permanent appointment was confirmed after a week of talks with Dermot Desmond in London following the league and cup double being secured.
Robbie Keane was also having talks, and appeared to be the frontrunner at one point — in the end, however, Desmond stuck with O’Neill.
There’s a school of thought that last season would’ve been the perfect ending for the Irishman, and that he should’ve called it a day — Celtic-daft snooker legend Higgins subscribes to this.
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John Higgins on Martin O’Neill’s Celtic backroom staff: ‘What chance have you got’?
Higgins said on Open Goal: “If they’re supposedly haggling over what they’re haggling over, what chance have you got?
“What chance have you got going to somebody and saying, ‘I’ll give you X amount,’ if you’re haggling over helping these guys with the same money, or even a wee bit more, to help Martin win the league last year?
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“What chance have you got?”
He even raised the idea of Scott Brown coming in: “Do you think they’re trying to get Broony involved? That maybe he could step in?
He then revealed meeting O’Neill: “I had a coffee with Martin O’Neill last week there, just to drop the name in.
“I’m not saying anything, but I would want him to go. I’d want him to walk out the door and just say, ‘Right…’”
Brown was reportedly in line for an assistant role if the appointment of Keane was completed; he is available after being sacked as manager of Ayr United.
For now, the focus is on Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham, for whom Celtic are currently doing the haggling that Higgins bemoans.
O’Neill’s two trusted assistants have both reportedly been offered pay cuts to stay at the club, despite contributing to a miraculous league and cup double last season.
That’s despite O’Neill being ‘keen’ for the pair to stay, having already agreed his own permanent stay at the club.
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Martin O’Neill’s vital two Celtic assistants
Maloney was moved from the position of Player Pathways Manager upon O’Neill’s initial arrival in October.
Celtic were the club where Maloney’s coaching journey began, when he linked up with Brendan Rodgers to initially work with the club’s reserve side.
Fotheringham, on the other hand, was an external appointment, having spent his coaching career in England and Germany.
He reportedly has interest from Borussia Monchengladbach in Germany, where he has worked before.
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