Donovan aiming to give his dad's hero O'Neill a perfect send-off against Hibernian

Colby Donovan was brought up on stories about Celtic’s glory days under Martin O’Neill. Tales of domestic Trebles, memorable European occasions under the Parkhead lights, ferocious Old Firm battles and players who would cement their place as club legends.

The 19-year-old wasn’t around, of course, when O’Neill last bid a fond farewell to the Celtic supporters in May 2005. But his dad left him in no doubt over the impact the Northern Irishman had during his first stint in Glasgow’s east end.

It’s little wonder, then, that Donovan’s old man was left pinching himself when he got the news that his boy would have the opportunity to impress his hero when O’Neill returned to the Celtic dugout last month.

Donovan said: ‘When he was announced as interim manager, he (dad Joseph) was straight on the phone saying how he couldn’t believe I was going to be working under him.

‘He loved watching Martin’s team during his last spell. It was mental for my dad to know that he would be my manager.’

O’Neill’s second stint in charge is set come to an end over the next couple of days, with Frenchman Wilfried Nancy poised to be handed the reins.

If all goes according to plan — although nothing can be taken for granted at Celtic these days — Nancy will be on the sidelines at Parkhead come Wednesday evening for the visit of Dundee.

He has big shoes to fill, with O’Neill having steadied the ship somewhat amid what has been an uncharacteristically turbulent campaign for the club.

A meek Champions League exit at the hands of Kairat Almaty was followed up by an underwhelming start to the Premiership season which saw points dropped against Rangers and Hibernian.

Woeful defeats at Dundee and Hearts followed, with Brendan Rodgers handing in his papers within 24 hours of being turned over at Tynecastle.

Fan fury over the club’s summer recruitment haven’t helped matters, with last week’s AGM descending into chaos before it really began as supporters called for board members to step down. Protests in the stands have now become part and parcel of the matchday experience too.

Thankfully, things have at least improved on the park of late under O’Neill. Three league wins on the trot have narrow the gap to Hearts at the top to just four points, while he also oversaw a hard-fought Premier Sports Cup semi-final win over Rangers less than a week after walking through the door.

‘Martin has been brilliant since coming in, as have Shaun Maloney, Mark Fotheringham and all the backroom staff,’ said Donovan ahead of today’s lunchtime trip to Hibernian.

‘They have been amazing for us. They took on the challenge head first and we haven’t really looked back.

‘I had only ever played under Brendan Rodgers so it’s been a good experience to see a different type of manager.

‘His style, and the way he goes about his day-to-day business, has been great to see.

‘Martin’s a funny character. The way he talks to the players is really good. It’s been a pleasure having him as the manager and you can tell what the supporters think of him.

‘We want to give him the best possible send-off if this is going to be his final game.’

Donovan doesn’t harbour any doubts over his ability to earn the trust of the new manager, and nor should he.

The academy graduate’s rise to the first team this season has been one of very few bright sparks.

His professional debut came courtesy of an 11-minute cameo off the bench in a routine win over Livingston back in August, but it was another month before he announced himself as a Celtic player.

Thrown in from the start against Red Star Belgrade in the madhouse that is the Marakana, the teenager delivered a performance which belied his years. If he can handle that, you would think he can handle just about anything.

It was no flash in the pan either, with the right-back also outstanding in Thursday’s fine away win at Feyenoord midweek — at both ends of the pitch.

A few crunching tackles on wide man Leo Sauer helped him overcome a shaky start, while he played a key role in the build-up to Benjamin Nygren’s late strike which sealed the three precious points.

Next up in the Europa League is a daunting home clash against Serie A leaders Roma, before they travel to Bologna where they will face a certain Lewis Ferguson, with Dutch outfit Utrecht visiting Celtic Park in the final fixture of this season’s group stage.

Four points would almost certainly be enough to seal a play-off spot. It remains a tall ask, but Donovan is confident his side can get the job done.

‘I appreciate the chances I get from every manager,’ he said. ‘For Martin to put me in against Feyenoord, in a big game in that atmosphere, meant a lot and he made sure I went out there with no fear.

‘Going over there, we knew we could get something out of the game.

‘We watched them on the clips and we could see they are a good team, but we felt we could come back with something and we did.

‘It was a very big win for us in terms of looking to go further in the competition.’

Physical, robust in the tackle, and eager to bomb forward at every opportunity, Donovan has everything in his locker to be a Celtic starter for years to come.

Alistair Johnston and Anthony Ralston might have something to say about that, but that’s evidently not a challenge which fazes him.

His resolve has already been tested this season, having been hooked at half-time during the 3-1 defeat at Hearts. He freely admits his display that afternoon wasn’t up to scratch, but it says much about his personality that he chooses to focus on the positives. It should stand him in good stead.

‘It was a setback and, looking back, it was probably good that it happened,’ he reflected.

‘As a young player, it’s not going to all be perfect when you are playing well and winning games every week.

‘I had a good start to my season but there was always going to be a bump for me. I feel the experience at Tynecastle has made me a lot stronger and I am raring to go again now.’