Martin O’Neill’s return to Celtic as interim boss has been a breath of fresh air not just for the Hoops support, but for Scottish football.
The respect O’Neill has for the game in Scotland has been made public on various platforms, including talkSPORT, and the interim Celtic manager has been a strong advocate.
Celtic’s next fixture is against Kilmarnock and speaking prior to the Parkhead clash, boss Stuart Kettlewell has been speaking of his admiration for the Northern Irishman.
However, Kettlewell has also slammed what he’s heard being said about O’Neill’s Celtic return, branding the Hoops boss’ snipers as ‘unfair’.
Kettlewell talks up Martin O’Neill ‘respect’ as he slams Celtic boss’ critics
The Kilmarnock boss admits he’s never met O’Neill before but shares his admiration for the interim Celtic boss.
Kettlewell told the Sunday Mail, “I’ve not had any dealings with Martin before. We all listen to various radio shows and he has always been someone I’ve had lots of respect for.
“He captures an audience. I’ve heard a lot of references to his age since coming back but I think that’s a bit unfair.
“You can see the enthusiasm and vast knowledge he has of the game.”
There have been various references to O’Neill’s age being made by rival fans, which is strange considering the Celtic boss schooled their younger manager at Hampden just less than a week ago.
Martin O’Neill’s Celtic record vs Kilmarnock
Whilst Kettlewell will be experiencing O’Neill’s Celtic for the first time today, the interim Hoops boss has taken the dugout against the Ayrshire club in his first tenure at the club.
Here is how the record stands:
- Played: 17
- Won: 15
- Drew: 1
- Lost: 1
- Goals For/Against: 40/6
That is a stunning record and one that Celtic fans will hope that O’Neill will build on this afternoon at Parkhead to shut his critics up.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
