Celtic beat Hearts 3-1 at Parkhead on the final day of the Scottish Premiership campaign to seal their fifth consecutive title, and Martin O'Neill said the club had given him life again. The 74-year-old, who came out of retirement twice to help steady Celtic this season, said he felt rejuvenated after the run-in ended with the championship wrapped up in front of the home support.
O'Neill first stepped in after the departure of Brendan Rodgers, then returned again after Wilfried Nancy's 33 days in charge, a chain of events that turned a season of uncertainty into another title. He said the job had brought him back to himself. “The players and coaching staff have given me a reason to live! That's not to say my family haven't! But this is the most special place on earth,” he said. He added: “But they have given me a rejuvenation, seriously, I am rejuvenated.”
The scale of the turnaround was laid bare by Chris Sutton, who said Celtic had “stuttered and spluttered” this season but O'Neill had got “the old Honda Civic roaring again.” Sutton added: “It's all about Martin O'Neill, magic Martin. How he has turned this around, I couldn't tell you.” Celtic finished the job with seven wins on the trot, and Sutton said: “When it mattered, a magnificent seven wins on the trot to take Celtic over the line.”
The title may have settled one question, but it raised another. O'Neill said he did not know about next season and that the workload took its toll, even after the sense of renewal that came with this campaign. “Obviously I thought the days here of me lifting a trophy in front of these fans at Celtic Park was well and truly gone,” he said, after the final whistle confirmed the club's latest championship.
For Celtic, the immediate next task is clear: a Scottish Cup final against Dunfermline on May 23, with the chance to complete the double still alive. For O'Neill, the season has already delivered what retirement twice could not — another title, another standing ovation, and one more night at Celtic Park he had believed was gone for good.
