Martin O’Neill is expected back in Scotland this weekend, after his appointment at Celtic was finally confirmed.
It emerged on Thursday morning that Celtic are ‘a distance apart’ in negotiations with O’Neill’s backroom duo of Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham.
Possibly in response, O’Neill’s appointment was announced just hours later, with no mention of his backroom staff.
O’Neill was seen at Glasgow Airport earlier this week, though he appeared to be on his way to departures. Despite this, he’s due in Scotland on Saturday.
Your thoughts on the latest update on the delayed appointment of Martin O’Neill… 🤦♂️
Martin O’Neill to appear at event in Dumfries
The Parkhead boss will be in Dumfries for An Afternoon With Martin O’Neill at The Cairndale Hotel & Spa, two days from now.
This is likely to be his first public appearance after agreeing to stay permanently.
READ MORE: Martin O’Neill appointment delayed with Celtic a ‘distance apart’ in staff talks
It shows the class of the man that he is still happy to participate in the event after his high-profile return to the dugout.
Many feel that O’Neill has earned the right to stay on in his position, but there is a fair bit of a surprise that he has committed to it this summer.
O’Neill was extremely popular among the Celtic players, with many voicing their support for him staying.
But with many of them expected to move on this summer, the dressing room will have a very different look by the end of this summer’s transfer window.
There’s no going back now after the Irishman’s appointment was announced, despite the news that negotiations with Maloney and Fotheringham have reached a deadlock.
After rubberstamping the deal following talks with him in London, Dermot Desmond vowed to back the 74-year-old in the transfer market.
What would be your one message to Martin O’Neill about Celtic’s upcoming transfer window?
Chris Sutton on Celtic’s preparation and Martin O’Neill
Desmond told the Celtic website: “Time and time again Martin has shown his qualities and what he can bring to Celtic.
“We know he is a winner, we know what the club means to him and he continues to be the outstanding candidate to give us the best opportunity to realise our objectives.
“He knows the demands at Celtic and I know how determined he is again to bring success to the club and to our supporters.
“The club will support Martin fully again across the close season to make sure we are well prepared to achieve domestic success and compete on the European stage.”
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