Celtic need a recruitment revamp, and it shouldn’t be Martin O’Neill’s job to lead it

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Martin O’Neill’s comments on Celtic’s recruitment this week indicted his employers.

In the least surprising news of 2026, he has confirmed that the club have been sitting on their hands ahead of a major rebuild this summer.

A manager shouldn’t need to be questioned on whether he wants a head of recruitment. A director of football should’ve hired one already. Celtic have filled neither of these roles ahead of the transfer window.

Mark Cooper is well-known as a knowledgeable scout in South America, a market mostly untapped by Celtic – but he has stumbled into the role as acting recruitment chief due to the club’s notorious complacency.

Martin O’Neill’s comments on Celtic’s recruitment

On the possible appointment of a new head of recruitment, O’Neill said this week: “They’re looking at that at this minute.

“I think obviously there’s a process. I think that they want to do that, but it’s not at the top of the list at this minute.”

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The joke writes itself. Instead of acting after the departure of Paul Tisdale in January(!), the club made Shaun Maloney do, as O’Neill has described it, “six jobs at once” and lead a threadbare recruitment staff.

The Hoops boss continued: “I’ve got a couple of boys who are very, very good in the background anyway.

“I think that we’ve made a couple of changes [in the squad]. Some people have left the football club. On the recruitment side, honestly, they’re working day and night.

“I’m in constant talks with them every single day. They’re behind the scenes. Genuinely, I’m really pleased with what they’re doing.

“Mark Cooper has been doing really well for us. He’s identified players over the last 10 or 12 years for us. Some really fine players.”

O’Neill needs help. As manager in the absence of any sporting director, he finds himself in exactly the same role that he did 25 years ago…

At a club who have acted like football hasn’t changed in those 25 years.