Martin O'Neill has stated that his appetite for success has been whetted by winning a domestic double last month, as he was officially confirmed as Celtic's manager on a one-year contract with an option for a further year.
Double Success Fuels Ambition
The 74-year-old manager, who had two interim spells last season, secured the Scottish Premiership title on a dramatic final day and triumphed over Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup final. O'Neill expressed his eagerness to deliver more memorable moments for the club and its supporters.
"It is once again a great privilege for me to continue as Celtic manager," O'Neill said. "Last season will live long in all our memories and to be part of that success has in a big way whetted the appetite to work again for more days like those and bring our supporters those moments."
A Proven Winner
O'Neill has previously won nine major honours during his first stint at Celtic from 2000 to 2005. He emphasized the importance of not resting on past achievements and driving forward for the upcoming season. "We know of course that Celtic can never rest on past success so we are now aiming to drive forward together in the coming season as we aim to deliver again for the club and our fans," he added.
Backlash Over Previous Candidate
Before O'Neill's appointment, Robbie Keane held talks with principal shareholder Dermot Desmond. However, Keane's potential appointment faced a furious backlash from some supporters due to his managerial spell in Israel. Keane had been in charge of Maccabi Tel Aviv before moving to Hungary's Ferencvaros, from which he resigned at the end of May.
Club Support for O'Neill
Desmond expressed confidence in O'Neill, stating: "We know he is a winner, we know what the club means to him and he continues to be the outstanding candidate to give us the best opportunity to realise our objectives." He also indicated that the club would fully support O'Neill in the transfer market to ensure domestic success and competitiveness on the European stage.
