Celtic have placed Martin O'Neill in charge for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign, after ending Wilfried Nancy’s brief spell. The club sit second in the Scottish Premiership after 20 matches, six points behind leaders Hearts and level with Rangers, and seek greater stability for the rest of the season.
The Bhoys have already lost six league fixtures in this campaign, their highest Premiership defeat tally since the 2012-13 season, when they were beaten seven times. That record adds pressure to O'Neill’s return, as Celtic try to close the gap on Hearts while also staying ahead of Rangers in a tight title race.
Celtic confirmed that O'Neill will manage the team until the end of 2025-26, marking a second spell in the role this season. O'Neill first
stepped in after Brendan Rodgers’ dismissal, then handed over to Nancy, who lasted only 33 days before being removed following a poor run.
During that earlier caretaker spell, O'Neill oversaw eight matches and won seven, including all five Scottish Premiership games in that stretch. O'Neill also guided Celtic to league titles in 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2003-04, so the board have turned again to a figure with proven domestic success at the club.
| Manager | Season role | Games | Wins | Losses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin O'Neill | First 2025-26 spell | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| Wilfried Nancy | 2025-26 spell | 8 | 2 | 6 |
Nancy’s short tenure featured six defeats in eight matches in all competitions. That run included losing the League Cup final against St. Mirren and defeat to Rangers in the Old Firm derby on the weekend. With Celtic slipping behind Hearts, the club decided a change was necessary and recalled O'Neill.
Manager UpdateCeltic Football Club (@CelticFC) January 5, 2026
"I am really pleased, in fact, very honoured to be asked back to manage the team again and I am looking forward to getting back to work again with the players," O'Neill told the club website.
"I know we would all have hoped for things to have worked out differently under Wilfried and I personally want to wish him good luck with everything he does in the game. He is a fine man and I am sure he will go on and achieve success again, I have no doubt of that. For me, I've been asked to take this great job on again and my focus will be to try and get us back to winning ways if we can. We will need everyone right behind us. We still have a lot to look forward to and a lot to try and achieve, and myself, Shaun and the coaching staff and, of course, the players will be giving everything to achieve all the success we can for the club. "
O'Neill’s comments highlight support for Nancy while underlining a clear shift back to results. The mention of Shaun and the wider coaching group points to continuity behind the scenes, as Celtic attempt to recover form, reduce the gap to Hearts and challenge strongly across the rest of the 2025-26 schedule.
