Martin O’Neill completed his temporary stint as Celtic manager with a 1-0 win over Dundee
Martin O’Neill has hailed his brief return to Celtic as the “time of his life” after overseeing a 1-0 triumph over Dundee. The 73-year-old’s caretaker spell concluded on a winning note, with seven victories from eight fixtures, drawing Celtic level on points with William Hill Premiership pace-setters Hearts, whilst holding a match in reserve.
An early strike from Daizen Maeda sealed the points for Celtic, as O’Neill and Shaun Maloney wiped out the eight-point gap inherited following Brendan Rodgers’ sudden departure. O’Neill, who secured seven honours during his five-year spell from 2000, also leaves incoming boss Wilfried Nancy in strong shape ahead of the Premier Sports Cup final and with momentum in the Europa League following last week’s victory over Feyenoord.
Speaking to supporters on the Celtic Park turf following the final whistle, O’Neill said: “These players have been absolutely fantastic and that’s why they are champions. It’s been a privilege to work with them and I have had the time of my life in the past five or six weeks.”
When pressed for a final message to the Celtic faithful, O’Neill replied: “The Celtic supporters? They just need reminding that they are the best in the world.”
During his post-match media briefing, when probed about having the time of his life, O’Neill confirmed: “It really has, you know, seriously. It’s like a complete blur.”
He continued: “I was secretly hoping that Easter Road was going to be the last game, so I didn’t want to make a mess of it tonight.
“I thought that we needed a second goal. We just never really got that together and then you start to get nervous a wee bit towards the end. But we won.
“It wasn’t the most flamboyant of victories. But three points on the board keeps it going. How did Hearts do?”.
After discovering his side had managed to narrow an eight-point deficit during his spell in charge, O’Neill said: “Honestly? It just shows you.
“So they’ve got a superior goal difference? But we’ve got the game in hand. That’s been brilliant.
“I must admit, even to cut the gap at all during the time would have been decent. But to bring it right back, that was fantastic.”
Asked about any keepsakes he planned to take from his second spell at Celtic, O’Neill disclosed: “Do you know what? I’m going to take the tracksuit. Steven, the kit man, he doesn’t know, but I’m putting this in the bag. Seriously, absolutely. I’m definitely taking this.”
Dundee manager Steven Pressley voiced worries about Clark Robertson’s thigh problem, though he stayed optimistic, remarking: “There was a lot of positives in the performance, especially after going a goal down so early in the game.
“We came here with real intent. I thought we gave Celtic problems at times.
“With a late opportunity when Luke Graham has a header at the back post, we may just have got something from it.”
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