CELTIIC HAVE appointed Martin O’Neill as their manager until the end of the season on Monday after the Scottish champions sacked Wilfried Nancy earlier in the day.

“Celtic Football Club can confirm that Martin O’Neill will be joining the club as manager until the end of this season,” said a club statement.

“Martin will be supported by Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham as assistants, as well as Stephen McManus, who will join our existing coaches, Gavin Strachan, Stevie Woods and Greg Wallace to oversee first-team matters.”

The 73-year-old O’Neill stepped in as caretaker boss for eight games following Brendan Rodgers’ exit in October, winning seven of those fixtures.

O’Neill, a full-time manager of the Glasgow giants from 2000-2005, stepped aside for Nancy in early December.

But the French boss was sacked on Monday after just eight games in charge, six of which ended in defeat.

“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 Celtic’s 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.

“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.”

O’Neill returns to take charge with Celtic still second in the table, six points behind leaders Hearts, following a 3-1 loss at home to arch-rivals Rangers.

Defeat in the Glasgow derby sparked protests outside Celtic Park by frustrated fans and proved the final straw for the club’s hierarchy when it came to Nancy’s continued employment.

– © AFP 2026

Written by AFP and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.