Martin O’Neill is back at Celtic, after desperate calls among the support for his return.
Celtic’s form during his interim spell meant that most fans didn’t want him replaced in the first place, but the club opted to hire Wilfried Nancy immediately.
This call backfired horrifically, with Nancy losing six of his eight games in charge. The club confirmed his and Paul Tisdale’s departures on Monday.
Bringing back O’Neill was the club’s only option after that, and the 73-year-old is now back in the door, preparing to face Dundee United on Saturday.
While he was away, he returned to punditry – but made one stance on covering Celtic.
Tell us your starting XI for Martin O’Neill’s first game back
Martin O’Neill on covering Celtic as a pundit
O’Neill was initially announced as a pundit for Celtic’s clash with Rangers that ultimately turned out to be Nancy’s last.
But he made a U-turn on this decision, ultimately being replaced on the panel by Jackie McNamara.
READ MORE: Ryan Stevenson says Rod Stewart’s Wilfried Nancy video made him ‘sick to his stomach’
Speaking to the media about this decision, O’Neill admitted that it didn’t feel right given the pressure that Nancy was under.
He said: “I didn’t think it was appropriate. I was down to do Sky TV for the Rangers game but I didn’t think it was appropriate.
“If the team had been winning games then fine, absolutely fine, but that’s all. You don’t want to be scurrying around in the stand.
“I’ve seen it before when I was a manager, and there were boys in the stands, managers who were out of a job, staring down. I didn’t like it.”
On the topic of becoming chairman, O’Neill added: ““I put that out myself! I’d like to be owner! I’ve always said there were two jobs I always wanted.
“I wanted to be assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson, because that’s the job of the century. You don’t have any responsibility, he’ll take it all, and you’ll be in a job for life.
“The other job was to be director of football of any club. I get to sign the players and the manager gets the blame!
“You are still in a job and the manager goes… which has been apparent the other day with Manchester United.
“The minute a manager – who used to have power in the 70s, 80s or 90s – publicly is against the director of football you’re out! That’s the job I want.”
Who gets your vote?
Martin O’Neill’s first interim spell at Celtic
In a whirlwind 24 hours, O’Neill went from being a guest on talkSPORT to leading Celtic to a 4-0 win over Falkirk.
He followed that up with an extra-time win over Rangers, in which his bold calls to start Johnny Kenny and introduce Callum Osmand from the cold were backed up.
A last-minute winner from Callum McGregor at St Mirren was one of the sweetest moments of the season.
But the best was probably that night in Rotterdam, in which O’Neill led the Celts to their first win in the Netherlands since he led his original Hoops team to victory in Amsterdam, 24 years ago.
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