Celtic manager search: Martin O’Neill agrees to take job on permanent basis after Dermot Desmond talks
Martin O’Neill has agreed to become Celtic’s permanent manager.
The 74-year-old has given the green light to sign an initial one-year deal at Parkhead.
It follows talks with the club’s major shareholder, Dermot Desmond, who had also held conversations with former player Robbie Keane – which led to criticism from a number of fan groups.
O’Neill returned to the club twice last season and guided them to a domestic double, including a Scottish Premiership title triumph on the final day of the season.
After lifting the Scottish Cup at Hampden Park earlier this month, he felt the Hoops could be “looking at somebody younger” as they searched for a new boss.
How O’Neill’s return to Celtic unfolded
O’Neill returned to Celtic with his former player Shaun Maloney (L) named assistant
Following the shock resignation of Brendan Rodgers last October, there was even more surprise as O’Neill was given the call to take over on an interim basis – 20 years after his previous spell at the club.
During that period, he won every league game to turn an eight-point deficit to Hearts into a situation where Celtic were level on points with a game in hand.
O’Neill also led Celtic to the League Cup final after beating Rangers, plus boosted their Europa League hopes.
O’Neill’s Celtic saw off Danny Rohl’s Rangers to reach the League Cup final
He then made way for Wilfried Nancy. However, the Frenchman lasted just 33 days into his two-and-a-half-year deal, and O’Neill returned again – this time until the end of the season.
At that stage, Celtic had slipped six points behind Hearts and seen Rangers draw level on points, with the club having also lost the League Cup final.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Celtic lifted the Scottish Premiership trophy following a dramatic final-day clash with Hearts
However, O’Neill helped the Hoops recover on and off the park. Off it, he guided the club through the January transfer window, plus worked to quell unrest between the fans and board. On it, he secured a spot at Hampden in the Scottish Cup, plus cut that gap to Hearts in the league before pipping them to the title after a final-day decider.
Then came that Scottish Cup final as he overcame his former captain Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline at the national stadium.
More than two decades on from his last spell in Glasgow, O’Neill added two more trophies to the seven he had won at the club from 2000-2005.
