Martin O’Neill has discussed facing highly-rated Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou.
The Fir Park boss is now the bookmakers’ favourite to be Celtic’s next manager, on the brink of taking them into Europe in his first season with a dominant brand of football.
O’Neill defeated Motherwell in his only clash with them this season, though Wilfried Nancy’s Celts were comprehensively beaten on the team’s only trip to Lanarkshire this season.
Speaking ahead of the crucial penultimate match in the Scottish Premiership season, O’Neill had a warning for Askou amid his links to Celtic.
Would you take Jens Berthel Askou in the event that Martin O’Neill leaves Celtic in the summer?
Martin O’Neill: Jens Berthel Askou ‘deserves a lot of applause’
Asked about facing the Motherwell boss, his brand of football and the fact that Askou has been linked to the role, O’Neill said: I think he’s done really well, really well.
“Yes, they play a nice brand of footballers as well too, but yes, he deserves a lot of applause.
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Then asked about the team’s last trip to Fir Park, he made it clear that the Celtic job is a different kettle of fish, saying: “It was a difficult day, yes.
“But since that there, we’ve been able to win the game against them at our place. It’s a difficult task.
“They play a really nice brand of football, and I think that they still want to try and qualify for Europe, I’m sure.
“But essentially, they’re not playing under that sort of pressure at Motherwell. You can do this, and you can play, and you can lose some matches and still have a really good season.
“It doesn’t happen at this club.”
Finally, on Celtic’s current form, he said: “Yes, we’ve got some players who are playing in really good form, which is the most important thing.
“I think there’s a good connection with the team now and the fans. I think that’s been an important issue. I think Celtic Park on Sunday was kind of a reminiscent of my old days anyway.
“That’s been great. But we’ve gone away from home, we’ve won some big matches as well too. So I think just a combination of all of those things gives us a chance.”
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The career of Celtic candidate Jens Berthel Askou
Having spent the majority of his playing days in Denmark, Askou also enjoyed a two-year stint in English football with Norwich City and Millwall. It was during his time at Carrow Road that he formed a lasting friendship with former teammate Russell Martin.
His managerial journey launched at Vendsyssel in his homeland, followed by a highly successful period in the Faroe Islands, where he secured a domestic double with Havnar Boltfelag.
After two years at Horsens, he was appointed head coach of Swedish giants Goteborg. However, he vacated that post in 2024 to take up an assistant role at Sparta Prague—a tenure that proved short-lived, ending in his dismissal just six months later.
Despite that setback, he quickly rebounded as an assistant at FC Copenhagen, contributing to their Danish Superliga title success. Upon the expiry of his short-term deal there, he moved to Motherwell.
His tactical approach at Fir Park immediately garnered attention, and his remarkable impact in Lanarkshire has established him as the most discussed manager in the Scottish game.
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