Celtic’s newly appointed permanent manager Martin O’Neill could quit the club just 13 days after being confirmed in the role, according to a close confidant.
Veteran sportswriter Graham Spiers, who counts O’Neill as a friend and regularly hosts speaking events with him, has raised the prospect of a bombshell departure.
O’Neill, 74, was unveiled on a one-year deal on June 11 after guiding Celtic to a Premiership and Scottish Cup double during his time as interim boss.
The announcement was notable for its silence on O’Neill’s coaching staff, raising immediate questions about the composition of his backroom team.
During both of his interim spells last season, Shaun Maloney stepped away from his role as Celtic Professional Player Pathway Manager to serve as O’Neill’s assistant.
Mark Fotheringham, who has coaching experience in Germany and England, was also brought into the set-up by the veteran Irishman.
Both men have been in discussions about returning for the new season, but those talks remain unresolved with pre-season now approaching rapidly.
Writing on his Press Box Patreon page, Spiers said: “Might Martin O’Neill get so frustrated with this current Celtic imbroglio over contracts that he simply walks away?”
Spiers painted a picture of an increasingly frustrated manager, writing: “I will hazard this guess…that O’Neill is deeply frustrated by the goings-on at Celtic this summer, to a point of near-despair.”
The sportswriter alleged that Maloney and Fotheringham were asked to return on reduced terms, describing it as a significant slight against O’Neill himself.
Spiers wrote: “This is quite the temerity by Celtic, to ask the men who helped land last season’s unlikely Double, to come back on wage-cuts.”
He added: “It also seems to me a sheer disrespect for O’Neill, the architect of Celtic’s most recent success, to treat his valued assistants in this way.”
Significant shareholder Dermot Desmond has been identified by Spiers as the central figure behind the contractual deadlock, described as “hard to budge” on the financial demands being made.
Spiers speculated that O’Neill’s comfortable life away from football could make a swift exit an appealing option, noting: “Away from Celtic, life wasn’t just easier, it was very good.”
The warning from Spiers was direct: “If Celtic don’t resolve this soon, a brassed-off O’Neill might well think it is time he stepped away. The clock is ticking. Celtic desperately need to announce a resolution.”
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