Martin O’Neill is proving at Celtic that age is just a number.
At the age of 73, O’Neill hasn’t just made one comeback at Celtic this season, but two comebacks, as he tries to save the club’s sinking ship.
Another sinking ship is Tottenham Hotspur, after the English Premier League side sacked Thomas Frank after eight months in charge on Wednesday.
Frank replaced Ange Postecoglou at Spurs in the summer, but after 25 league matches, he had them five points above the drop zone after losing to Newcastle United on Wednesday night.
So, could Spurs take a leaf out of Celtic’s book as they look for a new coach?
- READ MORE: Martin O’Neill makes his stance on Celtic’s Scottish Cup allocation vs Rangers crystal clear
Does age matter, if you want to manage at an elite level in football?
Simon Jordan reminded about Martin O’Neill at Celtic amid suggestions of Harry Redknapp returning to Tottenham
Simon Jordan, Jim White and Danny Murphy were discussing who could be Spurs’ next coach, and whether an interim could come in for the final months of the campaign.
The name of Harry Redknapp was suggested, but Jordan wasn’t so sure, as he claimed that the Englishman has ‘had his day.’
That’s when White reminded his talkSPORT colleague of the job O’Neill is doing at Celtic, and how, at 73, many questioned whether he still had the chops to perform at a high level.
Jim White: “Many people are saying, ‘Get big Sam (Allardyce) in.’ Other people are saying, ‘Get Harry Redknapp in.’ Are you thinking along those lines?”
Danny Murphy: “I would, yeah.”
Simon Jordan stated sarcastically: “Oh, they would love big Sam at Tottenham, won’t they? Just like West Ham loved him.”
White: “What about Harry?”
Jordan: “He has had his day. He’s had his time.”
White: “They said that about Martin O’Neill.”
Murphy: “Exactly.”
Jordan: “Sure. Okay. Different circumstances. A different set of scenarios in a two-horse league. A bit different.”
Murphy: “Moyes still has it at Everton. Look at what Moyes is doing at Everton.”
Who is the oldest active football coach in Britain?
When O’Neill returned to Celtic in October, it was the first time he was back on the touchline since 2019. That was his short gig at Nottingham Forest.
As a result of being in the Celtic Park dugout now, the Irishman is currently the oldest active coach in Britain.
But if Redknapp takes the Spurs gig, at the age of 78, he will become football’s oldest active coach. His last job was at Birmingham City in 2017.
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