Former Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has revealed he “would happily have stayed on” following his interim spell at the Scottish Premiership club, which ended with an impressive seven wins from eight games.

The 73-year-old Northern Ireland legend returned to Celtic in late October after Brendan Rodgers resigned, stepping in as caretaker manager while the club searched for a permanent replacement. O’Neill described his brief stint as “holding the fort for a while” but insisted that leading the team into Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup final, which Celtic lost 3-1 to St Mirren, was not a motivating factor in his decision to step aside.

“Only if asked,” O’Neill told Talksport when asked whether he had wanted to lead Celtic out at Hampden. “That was not a driving force. I’d happily have stayed on. If they had asked me to stay on, I would’ve done so, but the minute they said, ‘no, that’s your time,’ that’s fine by me.”

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Transition to Wilfried Nancy

O’Neill briefly met with Wilfried Nancy, who took over the job permanently earlier this month, describing the conversation as “10 or 15 minutes” with the “affable” Frenchman. Nancy has had a difficult start, losing home matches to Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts, Europa League opponents Roma, and the recent cup final, leaving Celtic fans concerned about the team’s form.

O’Neill acknowledged the challenge of taking over in such a turbulent period:

“When you get into it, you really enjoy it. You enjoy winning, that’s the point – this is what it’s about. You’ve got to give managers chances… You cannot make a judgement on anybody over three games. The matches were difficult.”

He reflected on his own experiences at Leicester City, where patience and perseverance allowed him to achieve meaningful success despite early setbacks, emphasizing the importance of steadying the team and leaning on senior players.

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Reflections on Celtic’s Current Situation

During his whirlwind return, O’Neill felt “reinvigorated” and confident that his brief tenure had not gone amiss:

“I was very, very worried about it. If you fail, you are considered too old for the job and that this is a young man’s game. Thankfully, I don’t think I messed it up.”

O’Neill stressed the importance of restoring harmony within Celtic, particularly amid unrest between fans and the board:

“Celtic disunited are not the Celtic that people should be aware of.”

Despite stepping down, O’Neill remains enthusiastic about football and open to future managerial opportunities:

“I’ve never lost the appetite for the game, I’ve certainly not lost enthusiasm and I’ve got energy to burn.”

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Legacy and Achievements

O’Neill’s interim period may have been brief, but it reminded fans of his previous achievements at Celtic, including:

• Five Scottish Premiership titles
• A memorable Europa League victory at Feyenoord
• A semi-final triumph over arch-rivals Rangers

His calm, experienced approach during a transitional phase helped steady the squad and left the club in a better position as Nancy takes charge.

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Looking Ahead

While O’Neill’s second spell at Celtic has ended, his comments underline both his love for management and his belief in the potential for Celtic to rebuild harmony and competitiveness in the league. With Nancy now at the helm, supporters will hope the team can regain form and continue to challenge for domestic and European honors.