Martin O’Neill is to make his first public appearance since the end of Celtic’s season this evening.
The Parkhead faithful are patiently waiting for news on O’Neill’s future; he is having talks with Dermot Desmond this week.
The expectation is that the 74-year-old will be offered the manager’s job, but he has been public about his reservations over staying in the role.
As Celtic fans await a decision, O’Neill will be in Belfast on Thursday.
Give us your gut feeling after the cup final… will Martin O’Neill be Celtic manager next season?
Martin O’Neill to attend Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards
The Belfast Telegraph has confirmed that O’Neill will be in attendance at the Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards on Thursday night in the Northern Irish capital.
He will be one of four 1982 World Cup squad members to attend the event.
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O’Neill has been inducted into the LMA Hall of Fame for hitting 1,000 games in management earlier this year, being formally inaugurated this week.
Sir Alex Ferguson was among the names congratulating him at the event. The Irish FA also congratulated O’Neill this week.
As is usually the case with Celtic, there hasn’t been any communication from the club regarding their plans to hire a manager. The interim boss himself has been providing the updates.
A mammoth rebuild awaits the club this summer, with several key players expected to leave. It would be a major commitment for O’Neill to remain in the dugout.
If it is to be someone else, Craig Bellamy is a prominent contender for the role, though he would need to be tempted away from his position as Wales manager.
Robbie Keane left Ferencvaros out of the blue on Friday, he has widely been seen as a leading contender due to his pre-existing relationship with Desmond.
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Martin O’Neill on his Celtic future and ‘project’
Speaking to the media on his future after Celtic completed the double, O’Neill said: “I don’t think I’ll lose the passion for the game. Honestly, I really don’t.
“But I would be thinking that the football club to go forward, to go forward properly, would probably be looking at somebody younger.
“If you’re asking me, would you have a project or something that gets here? No, I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t have it.
“I’ve never believed in a project anyway, to tell you the truth. But I definitely couldn’t do that.”
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