After steering Celtic to one of the most dramatic league and Scottish Cup Doubles in the club’s history, Martin O’Neill admitted he almost walked away from the job entirely.
The 74-year-old was speaking from Celtic’s pre-season training camp in the Algarve, where he reflected candidly on his lengthy deliberation process over the summer.
Powerbroker Dermot Desmond and the Parkhead board gave O’Neill time to weigh up whether he had one final crack at the job left in him, leaving fans on tenterhooks for weeks.
O’Neill revealed the board eventually set a firm festive deadline, saying: “I think it was about a week or so, maybe a bit longer to think about it. Obviously, I was taking time. I think they said, ‘You’d better make your mind up before Christmas!'”
He admitted that had the question been posed immediately after the Scottish Cup final, his answer might well have been different and his Celtic tenure would have ended there.
O’Neill said: “They didn’t ask me the following day after the cup final. But if they had have done, I honestly think that I wouldn’t really have had the energy.”
The veteran manager explained that his enthusiasm for the role never truly fades, but that physical energy was the key factor clouding his thinking throughout the summer months.
He added: “We finished in a great, great high. It was one of the best moments in managerial time and it was terrific. I think I’ve always had the enthusiasm, but I really think it was to do with the energy.”
Before making his final decision, O’Neill consulted his family, including his wife and two daughters, who follow Celtic closely and were encouraging about him continuing in the role.
He said: “The two daughters follow things very, very closely and they said, ‘Yeah, absolutely.’ I think my wife followed them as much as anything else.”
Some of his inner circle urged a more cautious approach, with O’Neill recalling: “Some closer friends – I don’t have too many friends and I certainly don’t have that many close friends – but some of the friends were saying, ‘you should consider every aspect of it before you make a decision.'”
O’Neill has returned to Celtic on an initial one-year deal with the option of a further 12 months, a notably different arrangement from the rolling contract he held during his first iconic spell at the club.
He acknowledged the club will eventually seek a younger permanent appointment, stating: “I know I said this last year, but really, when you’re thinking about it, they definitely will be looking for somebody much, much younger, you know?”
With the Champions League play-off looming almost immediately at the start of the season, O’Neill has put his players through double training sessions daily in Portugal to ensure they are battle-ready.
He said: “I honestly don’t think I’ve ever paced myself. Unfortunately, football doesn’t give you the chance to pace yourself. So I’ve never done that. It’s just going full throttle now.”
O’Neill pointed to last season’s Champions League disappointment as a major source of motivation heading into the campaign, noting that dropping out at that stage had a lasting impact on the squad.
He said: “That was a major disappointment. I think it took quite some time to get over it as well, regardless of playing in the Europa League. So yes, there are big games coming thick and fast now, so quickly.”
About the Author
