Martin ONeill
Martin O’Neill is making a return to Celtic Park, almost two decades after his first successful spell with the club. His previous stint saw him secure three league titles and three Scottish Cups in five years. However, this return marks his first time back in a managerial role since his departure from Nottingham Forest in June 2019. O’Neill’s time at Forest was short-lived, lasting just 19 games with only eight victories.
The club statement read: “One of the original and most-loved ‘Miracle Men’, Martin is finally realising a life-long dream in managing his beloved Nottingham Forest.”
O’Neill’s appointment at Forest was met with high expectations. The club was seventh in the Championship, and there was hope that O’Neill’s passion and previous managerial success with Leicester City and Celtic would propel the Reds to the Premier League. Despite some promising results at the City Ground, Forest’s poor away form meant that O’Neill managed just five wins in his first 16 games. The dream of reaching the Premier League was dashed in April 2019 after a 2-0 defeat at Sheffield United marked their fourth consecutive loss.
O’Neill said: “It’s a tough old job but I think I came in with my eyes open.”
Forest ended the season with three consecutive wins against Middlesbrough, QPR, and Bolton, finishing ninth in the table. O’Neill appeared optimistic about the future, expressing a positive outlook for the next season.
O’Neill commented, “We will look forward to next season and we are remarkably upbeat. We have finished with three consecutive wins. We have not had the consistency this season, to be perfectly honest.”
However, O’Neill’s tenure at Forest came to an abrupt end when his departure was announced in a brief statement, followed by the appointment of Sabri Lamouchi as his successor just 18 minutes later.
Now, O’Neill returns to Celtic Park, stepping in as an interim manager following Brendan Rodgers’ exit. His return was confirmed in the same announcement as Rodgers’ departure, and O’Neill has already addressed his new role.
O’Neill stated: “They [Celtic] are obviously seeking a permanent manager. This is like a short-term, I was going to say fix but it’s a short-term fit, whether it’s a fix or not is another thing. Interim does mean that to me, absolutely. That’s how I would view it. If we can win some football matches and give us some buying time until a new man is appointed.”
O’Neill’s return to Celtic Park is a significant moment for both the manager and the club, as they look to navigate this transitional phase successfully.
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