Martin O'Neill has made it clear that he will not be taking on the role of Celtic manager permanently. He stepped in temporarily after Brendan Rodgers resigned. Rodgers' departure from the Scottish Premiership
team was announced on Monday, and Shaun Maloney has been named as O'Neill's assistant for the interim period.
O'Neill, who led Celtic from 2000 to 2005, expressed surprise at being asked to return. "It's obviously a kind of shock, as much as anything else. It shocked me as well, too," he said to TalkSPORT. He emphasised that his role is temporary and that Celtic are actively seeking a permanent manager.
Celtic currently sit second in the league, trailing leaders Hearts by eight points after a 3-1 loss on Sunday. During Rodgers' second tenure at the club, he managed 85 matches in the Scottish top-flight, securing 63 victories with a win rate of 74.1% and averaging 2.4 points per game.
O'Neill believes Celtic are looking for a young coach with proven skills to advance the club's current standing. "Celtic are looking for, I would have assumed, a young coach coming in now who has a proven ability and would want to pull the club forward," he stated.
The club is gearing up for upcoming matches against Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday and Rangers in the Scottish League Cup semi-finals at Celtic Park on Sunday.
Club Statement. Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) October 27, 2025
Reflecting on his unexpected return, O'Neill mentioned how difficult it was to refuse Dermot Desmond's request due to their history. "It's difficult really to turn down somebody who gave you the job in the first place when he [Dermot Desmond] had really some great options, way back 25 years ago," he remarked.
O'Neill reiterated that his position is strictly interim: "So this is like a short-term, I'm not going to say a fix, but it's certainly a short-term fit. Whether it's a fix or not, it's another thing. " His focus remains on helping the team during this transitional phase while they search for a long-term solution.
