Martin O’Neill tipped to make surprise U-turn over Celtic future immediately after title win

Martin O’Neill has been tipped to stay on at Celtic after dramatically winning the Scottish Premiership title.

The 74-year-old has twice gone in as caretaker manager of the club – after Brendan Rodgers and Wilfred Nancy’s exits.

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Celtic were crowned Scottish Premiership champions with a 3-1 win on the final day to leapfrog Hearts, who had been top for 250 days.

It denied the chance for a team other than Rangers or Celtic to win the title for four decades.

O’Neill could yet deliver the double if they beat Dunfermline on May 23.

Will Martin O’Neill stay at Celtic?

O’Neill has previously told talkSPORT that he has no intention of remaining at Parkhead beyond the summer.

However, that stance seems to have softened and admitted after the title win he felt ‘rejuvenated’.

“The players and coaching staff have given me a reason to live! That’s not to say my family haven’t! But this is the most special place on earth,” O’Neill said.

“When there is unison in this stadium it is a sight to behold and obviously the players have been magnificent, optimised by the captain but we could not have won it without the supporters.

“I’m a bit part in proceedings. The coaching staff have been magnificent, but you have to have a response to that. I just think the players see me every day and they think ‘he’s a terribly old man and what is he doing here!”

Should O’Neill stay?

Former Scotland striker Chris Iwelumo admitted that it isn’t out of the question for O’Neill to make a U-turn and stay.

Iwelumo told Weekend Sports Breakfast: “It wouldn’t surprise me. It’s a fantastic football club. He’s a fantastic football man. He’s probably got that feel again.

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“He said he wasn’t going to celebrate and run down the line, but he was up celebrating running down the line on Osmand’s goal for sure. So it was a very nice picture to see.”

He added: “As soon as Martin O’Neill walks into the building, walks into that dressing room, the players are completely into exactly what he’s about. He simplifies it. You’ve already alluded to it there. I think it’s his man management.

“He knows exactly what to say. Sean Dyche said that best is when you look at a football club and its players, it’s all many companies within one big, massive company. 

“You have to look at everyone and treat everyone completely differently to get the best out of them, to make them efficient, to make them fall into place. He simplifies it.

“He’s very modest as well. He’s given a lot of credit to the fans. And yes, they play their part. He spoke about his captain, you look at Callum MacGregor, who is a leader of men, who goes out there.

“The players have taken responsibility, but he’s also created an environment. It’s down to the manager to protect the players and to create a competitive environment for the players to go out and express themselves, no matter what the pressures.”

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“When you look at Celtic, when you look at Rangers, and now Hearts, that expectation were on these groups, these players, these teams, these fans to produce and to get results off the back of it as well.

“Celtic since Martin O’Neill came in since January, no one has done it better.”

Statue of Martin O’Neill

Following Celtic’s latest title win, talkSPORT host and Hoops fan Shebahn Aherne joined the GameDay phone-in and called for O’Neill to be immortalised.

She said: “Build the statue. They should be building a statue tonight. It should be designed and it should be getting in the ground at Celtic Park. I interviewed him a couple of weeks ago at the Player of the Year awards. 

“He’s hysterical, he’s so dry. He always mentions, ‘I’m an older man, I don’t sleep at night, I’m barely enjoying this, the players don’t listen to me.’ I think that’s why you just love him so much. 

“He’s a total legend, he’s kept it simple since he’s come back for a second time. I don’t think it’s going to be him next season. 

“He’s always said this is a young man’s game. I think he can sit back, smoke a giant, massive cigar and go, ‘Boom, I got the title in what’s been the hardest title race of my life, I’ve got the fans behind me, I can step away now and still be an absolute legend.'”