Martin O'Neill addresses Celtic role change, rejecting stay, succession plan and Kelechi Iheanacho future

The Northern Irishman acknowledged in the aftermath of Saturday’s Scottish Cup win over Dunfermline that largest shareholder Dermot Desmond along with the board might choose to recruit a younger model given the challenges ahead.

Although the 74-year-old O’Neill has done wonders since twice stepping into the breach in the last seven months, Celtic are due to play a Champions League play-off tie in August and want to return to the biggest stage in club football in Europe. A huge financial windfall is at stake.

O’Neill concedes he could turn down any offer depending on how he feels about taking on such pressure and responsibility. However, he hopes Celtic might consider keeping his backroom staff, including the likes of assistant Shaun Maloney and first-team coach Mark Fotheringham, whatever happens.

O’Neill said he would also consider accepting a club ambassadorial role. “That is a thought,” he said. “They might offer some sort of ambassadorial role. I do not know. It is a thought. I am pre-empting a lot. They might just tell me to go to hell!”

O’Neill urged Celtic to ensure there is continuity by offering his current staff the chance to remain at the club if he himself moves on or even upstairs.

“Let’s just say they did that (appoint another manager….I’d hope) the manager coming in, who might want his own people, would consider the coaching staff I have had, because they have been brilliant,” he said. “Shaun and Fozzy, big Mick (Stephen McManus), Gavin (Strachan) and Greg (Wallace). They have all been great helps to me, plural.”

“I don’t know what is in the minds of the board at the moment,” he added. “I will emphasise that in the week (during discussions) .”

O’Neill admits he could reject Celtic stay if offered

A succession plan involving O’Neill staying for another season before giving way to Maloney, who has managed in his own right before at Wigan Athletic and Hibs, has been mentioned. “The board might think about that,” he said. O’Neill stressed that all his coaches are hugely capable. “And the players all like them, I am not so sure they like me…”

He denied that saying no to Celtic would be almost impossible for him. He recently said the club gave him something “to live for”. But other factors are at play, including talks with his family.

“I came back, answered sort of a call,” he said. “It’s exciting when it happened and it is over now, we have won.”

He stressed that he could turn an offer down if it didn’t suit him at his age. “I really could do that, yes. I have not been offered it for a start, so I do not want to pre-empt it. But if there was (something), I would hope that Dermot gives me more than ten minutes, as he did do the first time in October…”

Although they were a poor performance in the League Cup final against St Mirren away from securing the Treble, O’Neill accepts that Celtic fell short of the standards required in a turbulent season. He expressed the hope that the next campaign can be a less fraught experience for everyone involved at Parkhead.

“Obviously there are lessons to be learned throughout the whole season and sometimes, if you don’t see the challenges coming ahead, you can get maybe a little complacent about things,” he said. “And I think it’s a great thing – Hearts will come strong again and Rangers are a really fine footballing team, strong as well too. There’s plenty of challenges there so they have to think about that.”

Iheanacho quizzed Celtic boss on his future

With pre-season training set to begin again on 26 June, Celtic do not have long to prepare. Short-term signings such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kelechi Iheanacho are naturally keen to know what the future holds. The latter, who scored Celtic’s third goal against Dunfermline and has been a pivotal figure in the late season run of good results, signed a one-year deal in September. Celtic have the option for another year.

“Iheanacho keeps asking me! ‘What do you think, are they going to keep me on?’” said O’Neill. “I have no idea, mate. Don’t ask me, I am not the manager anymore. This morning again he stopped me in the lift. ‘Are you staying on?’ I have no idea, can you just concentrate on the game this afternoon!”

On whether he would seek counsel from anyone else as he prepares to hold discussions with Desmond and Celtic directors, O’Neill joked he is too old and too unpopular to have mentors. “No, I can’t,” he said. “I’d love to phone Sir Alex (Ferguson) up and ask but he would tell me to go to hell! But no I haven’t. Strangely enough I have not done that during my time. Primarily because I am not that well-liked by a lot of my fellow managers. And secondly, I think I know what they would say to me. If I phoned Sir Alex Ferguson up, I have a fair idea what he would say to me!”

It was pointed out to him that former Old Firm adversary Dick Advocaat, who is four years older than O’Neill, will be standing in the away technical area at Hampden this weekend when Scotland face Curacao in a pre-World Cup warm-up match. “That’s what keeps me going!” said O’Neill. “I am a child compared to him!”