Martin O’Neill’s bow-out warning to the Celtic board about Wilfried Nancy

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Wilfried Nancy is set to take over from Martin O’Neill at Celtic in the coming days.

Speculation about Nancy’s Celtic deal has ramped up this week and the Frenchman is widely expected to be unveiled soon.

Nancy is said to be taking over at Celtic on the 1st of December as Martin O’Neill looks after the team for tonight’s match against Feyenoord and the weekend’s Scottish Premiership fixture at Hibs.

However, before O’Neill makes his Celtic exit, he has delivered some stark advice to the Parkhead board about backing the incoming Frenchman.

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O’Neill warns the Celtic board they must get recruitment right for Wilfried Nancy

Recruitment at Celtic has been all over the place this season and O’Neill warns the Celtic board that they must get it right now in order to give Nancy the best possible chance of success at the club.

O’Neill told the Daily Record, “Absolutely. If you have recruited a manager, that’s fine. But recruitment is essential. It’s really important.

“Last year in terms of Europe it was like a nice, shining light, as if you could push on. Then you step back again and it’s not so strong.

“In the next couple of years Celtic will come again in European football.

“They might just have to step back for a while at this minute. But recruitment is important.”

O’Neill sends the Celtic board a Jock Stein reminder

And to send the Celtic board a clear message on the club’s European ambition, O’Neill said that is where the club should always strive to be.

When asked if Celtic are aware of the recruitment issues, O’Neill said, “Absolutely. I know people always say about January being a difficult window, and it may well be.

“But if you’re talking about rebuilding the club again to be able to try to compete in Europe and to be able to not have a big intake of breath when someone expects you to go to Feyenoord and win, that is the point. Jock Stein said it, European football is where Celtic should be.

“But at this minute it’s a struggle for us.”

A win at Feyenoord will keep Celtic’s Europa League campaign alive, whereas a defeat will make it extremely difficult to get out of the group.

As Nancy prepares to take the Celtic hotseat, let’s hope the board listen to the wise words of O’Neill who will leave the club still as a hero in the eyes of the fans.