Martin O’Neill is set to continue as Celtic manager after agreeing a new one-year contract with the option of a further year at Parkhead.
The 74-year-old held talks with club major shareholder Dermot Desmond earlier this week, with both parties reaching agreement on his continued involvement.
Celtic have yet to officially confirm the appointment, though the deal is understood to be in place and finalised.
O’Neill’s return to management at Celtic came in two separate interim spells throughout the 2025-26 season, first arriving in late October following Brendan Rodgers’ departure.
He oversaw eight games on that initial temporary basis before making way for Wilfried Nancy, whose spell proved disastrous with six defeats and just two wins from eight matches.
O’Neill returned to the dugout in early January and was appointed for the remainder of the season, guiding Celtic to one of their most dramatic title wins in recent memory.
The Premiership race went all the way to the final day, with Celtic defeating long-time leaders Hearts 3-1 to clinch the championship and deny their rivals the title.
Two weeks later at Hampden, O’Neill secured his ninth trophy as Celtic manager with a 3-1 victory over Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Cup final, completing a famous domestic double.
Across his two spells, O’Neill managed 35 games in all competitions, winning 27 and drawing four, posting a league points average of 2.56 per game — matching his figure from his original 2000-05 tenure.
As Premiership winners, Celtic will enter next season’s Champions League at the play-off round, the same stage at which they were eliminated last term before dropping into the Europa League.
O’Neill managed four of Celtic’s Europa League phase games last season, including the knockout defeat against Stuttgart, adding continental experience to an already demanding schedule.
He also oversaw Celtic’s League Cup semi-final victory against Rangers at Hampden in November, though Wilfried Nancy was in charge for the 3-1 final defeat by St Mirren the following month.
Rangers were further eliminated from the Scottish Cup by O’Neill’s Celtic at the quarter-final stage in March, adding further significance to an already fierce Old Firm rivalry that season.
Robbie Keane, a former Celtic player, had been linked with the manager’s position, while Danish coach Jens Berthel Askou was also mentioned before leaving Motherwell for Toulouse.
Twenty years on from ending his original five-year Celtic tenure, O’Neill’s remarkable return now extends into a fresh campaign as the club prepares for another assault on Europe.
