Martin O’Neill has made a sensational return to Celtic as manager, following the abrupt dismissal of Wilfried Nancy. The announcement comes after a string of disappointing results under Nancy's leadership, culminating in a 3-1 defeat to Rangers.
Nancy's tenure, which began at the start of last month, lasted a mere eight games, during which the team suffered six defeats, four of them consecutively. This poor run of form has left Celtic trailing Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership table. The Celtic board moved swiftly to terminate Nancy’s contract, also parting ways with his assistants Kwame Ampadu, Jules Gueguen, and Maxime Chalier, as well as Head of Football Operations Paul Tisdale.
O’Neill, who previously managed Celtic from 2000 to 2005, has been appointed as manager until the end of the season. During his first spell, O'Neill led Celtic to three Scottish Premier League titles, three Scottish Cups, and a League Cup. He also guided them to the 2003 UEFA Cup Final. His initial tenure at Celtic Park boasts the club's highest managerial win rate at 75.5%. O'Neill also returned as interim manager in October 2025 after Brendan Rodgers' resignation. He departed in December 2025 following Nancy's appointment.
O’Neill will be supported by Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham as assistant managers. Stephen McManus will also join the coaching staff, working alongside existing coaches Gavin Strachan, Stevie Woods, and Greg Wallace.
In a statement released by the club, O’Neill expressed his delight at returning to Celtic. "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," he said. He acknowledged the unfortunate circumstances of Nancy's departure, wishing him well for the future. "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," O'Neill stated.
O'Neill emphasized his focus on restoring the team to winning ways and called for unity among players, staff, and supporters. "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," he said. "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," he added.
Interim chairman Brian Wilson acknowledged the disappointment surrounding Nancy's departure. "The way things worked out for Wilfried Nancy is an intense disappointment, not least from a purely human perspective," Wilson said. He expressed confidence in O’Neill’s ability to refocus the team and appealed for unity within the club. "By bringing Martin back to the club, we look forward with confidence, giving the team real focus for the challenges ahead. He is a manager the players, staff and supporters know well, with a peerless reputation in football and a deep commitment to Celtic," Wilson stated. "The immediate priority is to get back to winning ways, and while today's events do not address every issue, I would appeal for unity within the stadium to create the best possible environment for the manager and team to launch the fight-back," he added.
