Martin O'Neill reveals he'd have 'happily stayed on' at Celtic as new manager Wilfried Nancy faces sack calls after just three games

Losses at home to Hearts and Roma were damaging enough, but Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup final defeat to St Mirren was a body blow few had anticipated. The final began disastrously, Marcus Fraser firing the Buddies ahead inside two minutes. Although Reo Hatate restored parity and briefly calmed Celtic nerves, the contest unravelled after the interval. Jonah Ayunga struck twice in quick succession, leaving the holders stunned and Hampden awash with disbelief as St Mirren celebrated one of the greatest days in their history. For Celtic supporters, the result was more than a missed trophy. It felt symptomatic of deeper issues, and frustration quickly turned towards the man in the dugout.

Brendan Rodgers’ exit in October, following a damaging 3-1 defeat at Hearts, left Celtic scrambling for stability. O’Neill answered the call on an interim basis, describing his role as simply “holding the fort”, but his impact was undeniable. Results followed, performances improved and the atmosphere around the club softened. Seven wins from eight matches, including a commanding Old Firm victory over Rangers, restored confidence and rhythm at a club accustomed to dominance. Yet Celtic’s hierarchy pressed ahead with another long-term appointment, turning to Nancy after the conclusion of the MLS season, enticed by his progressive reputation built with the Columbus Crew.

Speaking after the League Cup final, O’Neill revealed he would have been willing to continue had the club asked him. There was no bitterness, only a quiet sense that the transition may have come too soon.

"Only if asked," he replied on talkSPORT when asked if he would have continued in charge. "That was not a driving force. I'd happily have stayed on. If they had asked me to stay on, I would've done so, but the minute that they said, 'no, that's your time', that's fine by me."

O’Neill revealed that his handover with Nancy consisted of little more than a brief conversation, describing the new manager as "affable" but acknowledging the enormity of the task he had inherited.

"I stepped into the job, [major shareholder] Dermot [Desmond] had said to me, he said, 'you could be in it two weeks or two months, we're looking for someone'," O'Neill added. "When you get into it, you really enjoy it. You enjoy winning, that's the point - this is what it's about. You've got to give managers chances. I think back to my own time at Leicester City, where I eventually enjoyed nice success. Can't win a game to save my life, crowd baying for blood and after 10 games. How lucky I was to win a couple of matches of real importance at a stage."

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Drawing on his own experiences, O’Neill urged patience, reminding supporters how quickly football can turn once momentum is rediscovered.

"You've just got to win, you've got to win," he said. "You've got to steady it again. There are some excellent players at the football club. There's some boys who have won big time as well. Lean on some of the senior players. Lean on them and get them on your side. It is recoverable, of course. You're in the football club 10 or 12 days. You cannot make a judgment on anybody over three games. The matches were difficult. You have got to give a manager some time."

Even before Nancy’s arrival, Celtic were not enjoying a vintage campaign by their lofty standards. Despite holding games in hand, they sit six points behind Hearts in the Premiership, with Rangers threatening to close the gap further. Nancy’s challenge is immediate and unforgiving. The squad is packed with proven winners, players who have delivered trophies and handled pressure before. A trip to Dundee United on Wednesday offers an opportunity to draw a line under a bruising week and finally register a first positive result under the new regime. United arrive on a seven-game winless run, presenting a chance for Celtic to reassert themselves.