Martin O'Neill exclusive: On nerves of Celtic return, 'unconvincing' recruitment under Paul Tisdale - and chasing down Hearts
Celtic interim manager Martin O'Neill speaks exclusively to Sky Sports about his concern over being 'too old' to return to the club, his views on their 'unconvincing' recruitment and his feeling that they can catch Hearts in the Scottish Premiership title race
Wednesday 4 February 2026 23:23, UK
Returning Celtic manager Martin O'Neill was worried about being considered "too old" to lead the club before returning for a second and then third spell earlier this season, and suggested he was unconvinced about their recruitment under former transfer chief Paul Tisdale.
O'Neill, one of Celtic's greatest ever coaches, was drafted back in on a temporary basis following the resignation of Brendan Rodgers earlier this season and took over a side eight points adrift of leaders Hearts, before masterminding a run of five consecutive league wins - and one in Europe - from seven matches to restore their title hopes.
That was meant to be that for the 73-year-old's managerial career but he made a second return to Celtic Park only 32 days after handing the reins to Wilfried Nancy following the Frenchman's horrific eight-game spell in the hot seat.
Despite O'Neill's superb run in his first interim spell and a bright start to his second, the veteran boss revealed to Sky Sports he was apprehensive about taking charge of his former club, 20 years after his original spell had finished.
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He said: "The first time that I went back it happened so quickly, Brendan had resigned, I get a call the same afternoon to ask if I would come up and hold the fort.
"Naturally I was worried about it. The reason I was worried about coming back the first time round was that if you don't win, you're just considered old, you're just too old.
"It wasn't about whether you were going to ruin anything you did a load of years ago but at the end of it all, it was just that you would be considered just too old and you're not in the new game.
"And then [for the second spell] I get a call, asking to come in now to the end of the season. My worry then was, yes, it's a wee bit longer this time, we've ground to catch up again and I suppose I had the same fears and worries about it, whether we can do it, because games start to run down."
O'Neill's second return presented him a further complication coming as it did during a January transfer window where Celtic had just sacked their head of recruitment Tisdale, leaving the incoming boss to take on added responsibility to add much-needed re-enforcements to his squad.
In the end, Celtic made five new signings in January with four of those joining under O'Neill, who pulled no punches in his frank assessment of their previous recruitment strategy.
"If you're asking me honestly, I wasn't totally convinced about the recruitment for Celtic Football Club. You know, it is still a big club, and the ambition of the football club is to play big European matches, to be involved in big European games.
"We've actually turned down big, big money [in January]. I know it was very, very late in the transfer market, and so getting ideal replacements in was going to be difficult, but that might show you a sign that at least we've held on to our players."
Those players brought in by O'Neill have already begun to make an impact at Celtic Park, with Czech forward Tomas Cvancara scoring the opener in the weekend win over Falkirk.
When pressed on his overall feeling regarding the club's January recruitment, O'Neill said: "I'm a football manager so satisfaction and football management never go together.
"But I am happy. I'm happy with what we've done. I needed to supplement the squad. I wanted to try and bring, if we can, like anything else, bring in a bit of quality. Getting quality at this time, with the sort of thing that you're looking for, is still particularly difficult.
"We were speaking to Oxlade-Chamberlain, and I think he's training at Arsenal at this moment, and Arsenal may even offer him a contract, If that's the case then that's really great.
"At 32, I was astonished that he hadn't been picked off. I know he was talking about his difficulties out in Turkey, but someone of that sort of experience would have been great.
"It may still happen, because he's out of contract but he will have a number of options, probably closer to home. But if that materialised, that would give us something."
Now confirmed in charge for the rest of the season O'Neill has a material goal to aim for - unseat Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership, with their cause aided after Derek McInnes' side slipped up late on at St Mirren on Tuesday evening.
But in typically defiant fashion, the Celtic boss still refuses to consider his side may be favourites now he is back at the helm.
He said: "At this stage of the season, with the games running down, you would have to say absolutely [that Hearts are favourites]. Let me put it this way, I'd like to be six points clear."
But is it possible that Celtic can put together a run of form sufficient to overturn their lead?
"Let me put it this way, it has to be," he added. "It has to be. No other shortcut for it. It has to be."
