Football - UEFA Champions League - Galatasaray A.Åž. Liverpool FC - MD-1 LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, September 29, 2025: Liverpool s team-mates Joe Gomez L and captain Virgil van Dijk during a training session at the AXA Training Centre ahead of the UEFA Champions League match between Galatasaray A.Åž. and Liverpool FC. Photo by Richard Martin-Roberts/Propaganda LIVERPOOL AXA Training Centre MERSEYSIDE ENGLAND PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUK Copyright: xDavidxRawcliffex P2025-09-29-Liverpool_UCL_TRAINING-27
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has declared that retaining the Scottish Premiership title remains the club’s most important objective this season.
O’Neill made the comments as Celtic prepare for a demanding run of fixtures that will test the squad across multiple competitions in the coming weeks.
The fixture list includes a trip to St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park, followed by an Old Firm clash with Rangers at Ibrox in the Premier Sports Cup.
Celtic will then face Hungarian side Ferencváros in a Europa League tie before hosting Rangers again at Parkhead in a significant league encounter.
Despite the considerable attention surrounding the back-to-back Old Firm matches, O’Neill was clear that the Perth trip demands immediate focus from his players.
The Celtic boss insisted that the Wednesday night match against St Johnstone was the most important game on the horizon right now, not the high-profile derby fixtures.
O’Neill also provided an encouraging update on the fitness of Kasper Høgh and Kieran Tierney, confirming both players could return to the squad in the near future.
The manager also spoke positively about new loan signing Sam Johnstone, a goalkeeper who has joined on loan from Wolves and is a former England international.
O’Neill described Johnstone as “outstanding” in training, though he stopped short of confirming whether the goalkeeper would immediately challenge Viljami Sinisalo for the No. 1 spot.
The manager suggested the squad could look noticeably different following the international break, hinting at potential changes to his preferred starting eleven.
Johnstone’s arrival adds genuine competition and depth to a Celtic goalkeeping department that will be heavily relied upon across a congested schedule of fixtures.
O’Neill’s comments reflect a broader determination within the club to maintain the standards required to defend their Premiership crown against strong domestic competition.
Celtic supporters will be watching closely to see how the squad evolves and which players step up during this critical period of the campaign.
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