Martin O’Neill is back in charge of Celtic.
Imagine hearing that 24 hours ago. Brendan Rodgers’ bombshell resignation came from absolutely nowhere on Monday night, sending shockwaves through Scottish football.
O’Neill, along with Shaun Maloney, has been brought into the Parkhead dugout on an interim basis as the club undertake a search for a new permanent head coach.
And as if all that wasn’t enough, Dermot Desmond slaughtered Rodgers in a statement which made the breakdown in their relationship absolutely clear.
A chaotic 24 hours… but the returning O’Neill has cleared up exactly how we will work with Maloney for his interim spell.
Returning Celtic boss Martin O’Neill on Shaun Maloney
Glen Driscoll, Jack Lyons, Adam Sadler and, most notably, John Kennedy have all followed Rodgers out of the door.
Whatever your thoughts on the situation between Rodgers and the board, it’s extremely inconvenient timing for Rodgers to leave the Hoops’ staff threadbare, just as he did when he joined Leicester in 2019.
READ MORE: Kieran McKenna under ‘serious consideration’ for Celtic switch as Ipswich boss enters frame
Celtic icon O’Neill hasn’t worked in management for six years. He departed Celtic Park for the first time over 20 years ago.
He will now work with Maloney, and speaking on TalkSPORT after his appointment, he lifted the lid on their relationship.
He said: “It’s come as a bit of a shock, as you can probably hear in my voice.
“But let’s go and I’m working with Shaun Maloney. Shaun and I go back years and years ago to when he was a young player with me.
“He’s experienced in management now, and he’s worked as well with lots and lots of really good coaches. As I said, he himself has been a manager.
“I will obviously need help, and Shaun is there to give that to me. And hopefully so will the rest of the backroom staff.”
They will take to the dugout for the first time on Wednesday at Celtic Park against Falkirk. Will it be a 3-5-2? Time will tell.
Who will be Celtic’s new permanent manager?
Ange Postecoglou was quickly established as the firm favourite for a Celtic return after Rodgers’ departure. But whether he would be interested in such a move has not yet been established.
Kieran McKenna is also reportedly in the frame. A highly sought-after young coach, McKenna would be an outstanding get for Celtic – he has three years remaining on his contract at Ipswich.
Other names linked include Robbie Keane, Kjetil Knutsen, Craig Bellamy and Wilfried Nancy. A wide variety of names, but the vast majority of them seem to be young.
For now, the Hoops squad have to improve their level of performance if they are to avoid a hugely disappointing end to 2025.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
