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Martin O'Neill has revealed that he’d secretly love to lead Celtic out at Hampden again next month after they edged a pulsating Premier Sports Cup semi-final with Rangers.
Leading through Johnny Kenny’s header, the holders looked to be well on their way to a December 14 date with St Mirren when Thelo Aasgaard was sent off shortly before half time.
But the 10 men of Rangers rallied in the second half and deservedly took the game into extra-time through James Tavernier’s penalty.
Twenty years after his last trip to the national stadium, though, O’Neill was to enjoy the perfect return with further goals from Callum McGregor and Callum Osmand — his first for the club — sending Celtic through.
O’Neill, who’s now 73, was put in interim charge following Brendan Rodgers’ resignation and, as things stand, believes he’s only set to take charge for Thursday’s Europa League game away to Midtjylland and next Sunday’s home league game with Kilmarnock.
Asked whether he’d be open to a discussion with powerbroker Dermot Desmond about the possibility of remaining in charge longer, though, he stated: ‘The very obvious answer would be yes, I would do. But I genuinely don’t know what to expect.
Martin O'Neill says he would be open to discussions about extending his stay as interim boss
O'Neill was full of praise for Celtic captain Callum McGregor who scored in extra time
Callum Osmand celebrates scoring Celtic's third goal in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final
‘When I saw the games they had and then the international break, I thought they’ll have a couple of weeks to think about it.
‘I haven’t even spoken to him since that. In a perverse sort of way I’ve enjoyed the two games — but not a lot.’
O’Neill's last game at Hampden was a Scottish Cup final victory over Dundee United in 2005. When the idea that he could be back to lead the team out again was put to him, he added: ‘Well, secretly you would love to, you know. It’s December time.
‘Look, we’re in the results business and all of these things can change. If we’d got beaten today, I might not even have seen Thursday.’
With Rodgers winning the quarter-final against Partick Thistle, a change of manager before the final would see Celtic have three different men in the dug-out in three rounds.
‘That’s true, but it can happen,’ said O’Neill. ‘That would definitely be a first as historically I doubt it’s happened before.
‘I’ve played a small part. The backroom staff have been great for me. I’m kind of taking credit for their efforts.’
O’Neill saw his side bounce back in a captivating contest which Rangers looked like winning at one point despite being a man light.
‘It’s a feeling of obviously being delighted to win, relief from that viewpoint as well,’ added the veteran boss. ‘I’m delighted to have won but there’s certainly things we could have improved on.
‘I don’t know what it was, but eleven v ten we should have taken more control, I felt. That spell in the first half in particularly I felt we were excellent.
‘It was a really strange feeling to be in the Hampden dressing room, really strange, but it was nice to win.
‘If it had been the other way around it would have been a real sickener.’
O’Neill was effusive in his praise of skipper McGregor, who delivered his best display of the season.
‘He is just a great player,’ he added. ‘I have been saying this for a couple of days, and obviously his performance when I had the team on Wednesday evening...
‘I have watched Celtic intermittently and you think: “Yeah, he is a really good player”. It is only when you get into the job itself that you realise how really good he is. Good captain as well, vociferous in the dressing room, which is great, and can play — can really play. My expectation of him is so high.’
O’Neill also praised the contribution of Kenny and Osmand, two forwards who struggled for game time in Rodgers’ later days.
‘Johnny scored the goal. Yeah, he’s a young kid coming into the game,’ he said.
‘The other lad’s (Osmand) an interesting character. He’s got plenty of confidence and when he learns to play centre-forward properly, it’ll be great.
‘He does a bit of flicking here and there, but he’s sharp and he wants to go, and he got the goal and he certainly celebrated.
‘And if the game had gone to penalties and Rangers had won, I would have... he missed a great chance before that, didn’t he?
‘Yeah, so he might not have seen tomorrow himself. Delighted. Didn’t he milk it as well?’
