Martin O'Neill says Celtic should not be talking about his future before Saturday's Scottish Cup final, even if he is not sure he has the energy to carry on. He first managed the club from 2000 to 2005, and this season's return has already taken him through a title run-in and a lot of noise around what comes next. Major shareholder Dermot Desmond twice asked him back this season.
Why O'Neill wants the focus on Saturday
Asked whether anything would be said before the final, O'Neill was blunt: "No, I don't think anything would be said." He was even clearer when the conversation turned to his own stamina. "If you were asking me today, I genuinely wouldn't have the energy at this moment," he said.
That is a pretty open admission from a manager who has already done the job once before and has now been asked back again. He also drew a line between what he feels he has earned and what Celtic should be expected to do next: "Do I think that Celtic should offer me? I don't think that. Do I feel I've merited? Of course I have."
The comeback still stands on its own
There is a separate reason O'Neill's return has drawn attention. Celtic trailed Hearts by 6 points when he took over in January, and the season ended with Celtic scoring two late goals to beat Hearts 3-1 on the final day after Hearts had been on course to be champions at 1-1. That is a sharp enough finish without trying to force the future conversation on top of it.
O'Neill's own view is that he found something in the job on the way back in. He said: "I definitely found energy from somewhere. I think that was to do with working with a lot of people, young coaches who were fantastic for me."
The record of the comeback is already there. What happens after the Scottish Cup final is not. For now, O'Neill has made it clear that Celtic's next managerial conversation can wait until the season's last game is over.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
