Martin O’Neill may not have formally confirmed he is leaving Celtic this summer, but his comments after the 3-1 win over Rangers sounded like those of a manager who has already made peace with the decision.
There has been plenty of speculation surrounding O’Neill becoming the permanent Celtic boss at the end of the season.
And after Celtic beat Rangers last weekend, the Northern Irishman has now put a pin on any chat surrounding the issue.
Should Celtic make a decision on Martin O’Neill’s permanent future before the end of the season?
Martin O’Neill’s wording felt far too final for Celtic to ignore
When asked by BBC Sportsound whether there was any scenario where Sunday’s Glasgow Derby would not be his final one in charge, O’Neill did not leave much room for interpretation.
“I would have thought… that would well and truly be the last one,” he said before adding: “I’m not so sure that your heart can take any more of these derby games.”
Managers usually avoid definitive language when their future remains undecided. O’Neill did the opposite.
Even when pushed on whether a potential league and cup double could change things, his response felt telling.
“We are only a thousand miles off any of them,” he said.
There was no obvious attempt from O’Neill to keep the door open. That is what made the interview stand out.
Celtic are still alive in the Premiership title race and still have a Scottish Cup Final to play, yet the tone from O’Neill was not one of long-term planning or unfinished business.
Instead, it sounded like someone emotionally drained by the intensity of the role, particularly the pressure that comes with Glasgow Derby matches.
That is understandable given the scale of the fixture and the demands placed on any Celtic manager. O’Neill also has the pedigree to speak honestly about it.
He has now overseen 28 derby matches against Rangers across his Celtic spells and has won 17 of them. Few managers in the modern era can match that record.
O’Neill has earned the right to leave Celtic on his own terms
O’Neill returned to Celtic in difficult circumstances and has quickly restored belief. Celtic remain one point behind Hearts with two league games remaining and still have a Scottish Cup Final against Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline to come.
There is still a realistic path towards ending the season with silverware, but O’Neill’s comments suggested trophies may not change his thinking.
The biggest clue was not what he said, but what he did not say.
There was no hint that he could be persuaded to continue. No suggestion that discussions were ongoing. No attempt to soften the idea of leaving Celtic.
For a manager who knows exactly how these interviews are interpreted, that felt significant.
Celtic supporters will hope there is still room for a change of heart. Right now though, O’Neill sounds like a man preparing to walk away on his own terms.
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