Martin O’Neill ready to extend Celtic reign – ‘happy to stay’
Celtic are edging closer to a decision about their next manager and hope to have made a decision before the end of the international break.
Martin O’Neill has been Celtic’s interim boss since taking over from Brendan Rodgers last month, and has enjoyed a successful spell at Parkhead so far.
Football Insider exclusively revealed on 31 October that O’Neill would be prepared to take over at Celtic until the end of the season if his interim spell is a success.
Since then, he has picked up multiple important results including a 3-1 win against Rangers to send his side into the Scottish League Cup final.
As a result, O’Neill has been a leading candidate for Celtic, with many tipping him to become the next permanent boss despite the other options on their radar.
Martin O’Neill prepared to take on extended Celtic spell
Football Insider revealed on 7 November that O’Neill is in the driving seat for Celtic and is the most likely option to become their next manager as things stand.
While the Hoops are still assessing other options and hope to reach a decision soon, the 73-year-old is prepared to do whatever is asked of him until he is told otherwise.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that O’Neill is prepared to extend his stay as long as the club need him.
“Martin O’Neill has been around the block, he knows how these things go,” he told Football Insider.
“He’s been out of the game for a while, and this opportunity came out of the blue, but by all accounts he’s enjoyed his time at Celtic so far.
“I get the feeling that he would be happy to stay and ride with it for as long as they need him.
“Whether that’s long-term or just until somebody else becomes available, I think he’ll be ready to do whatever they ask of him, which also does the club a favour.
“I’m sure a decision will be made soon, and whatever that decision is, O’Neill will be prepared.
“If they need him to stay on, he’ll stay on, and if they decide they’ve found somebody better, then I’m sure he’ll be pleased to step aside.
“After the job he’s done so far, it wouldn’t surprise me if they extended his stay.”
This comes after Brown told Football Insider that O’Neill could extend his spell at Celtic, but would be unlikely to take them up on a permanent offer.
Celtic plan to make next manager decision ‘soon’
Brown told Football Insider on 11 November that Celtic want to make a decision on their next manager during the international break, whichever way they decide to go.
While O’Neill would be prepared to stay on, they have also been linked with a number of alternative options, including the likes of Kjetil Knutsen and Wilfried Nancy.
This comes after Football Insider revealed on 7 November that Knutsen is a top target for Celtic and one of the leading candidates to take over permanently.
Meanwhile, Football Insider exclusively revealed on 10 November that Nancy is available for Celtic after his Columbus Crew side were dumped out of the MLS playoffs.
The 48-year-old has been in charge of Columbus Crew since 2023, and before that, he had a successful spell at CF Montreal.
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