Martin O'Neill is poised to celebrate a remarkable managerial milestone as Celtic prepare for a crucial Europa League playoff tie against Stuttgart. This match will mark O'Neill's 1,000th professional game in charge, a statistic the 73-year-old was entirely unaware of until recently informed.
A Career of Resilience and Success
O'Neill, currently in his second stint managing Celtic this season and his third overall, first led the club from 2000 to 2005. Reflecting on his return, he admitted initial concerns about his ability to succeed again after such a long hiatus. "When I came here in the first spell, my biggest worry was not ruining anything from 20-odd years ago," O'Neill said. "If you couldn't win a game, you'd be considered too old. It turns out it shouldn't have been as big a concern in my head as it was."
He added with characteristic honesty: "Of course you like showing you can still win, you'd be telling lies otherwise." O'Neill revealed that he received supportive calls from other veteran managers, though he declined to name them, describing it as a collective affirmation that experienced coaches can still thrive in the modern game.
Joining Football's Elite
This achievement places O'Neill among an illustrious group on the League Managers Association's 1,000-game roll of honour, which includes legends like Alex Ferguson, Brian Clough, Jürgen Klopp, and José Mourinho. O'Neill's journey to this point began in 1990 at Wycombe, but his path wasn't always smooth.
In a typically entertaining anecdote, he recalled an early interview at Bradford City in January 1987, after Trevor Cherry was sacked. "I think 10 were interviewed for the job, all had better credentials than me because they had been managers, but I was the only one asked back," O'Neill said. "Only an Irishman can get down to the last one and fail it." He also humorously noted his initial rejection from Wycombe, where he was "ushered out pretty quickly" due to lacking credentials.
Focus on the Stuttgart Challenge
The immediate task at hand, however, is facing Stuttgart, who sit fourth in the Bundesliga and are heavy favourites to progress to the Europa League last 16 from their two-legged playoff. O'Neill dismissed any notion that European competition is an inconvenience amid Celtic's tense Scottish Premiership title fight.
"If you can compete here with them, then it surely must give you confidence as they are a fine team," O'Neill said ahead of Thursday's first leg. "While we are here, let's go for it. If they show their Bundesliga form, these will be difficult nights for us, but I want us to be concerned with ourselves rather than what the opposition might do."
Stuttgart's Respectful Approach
Sebastian Hoeness, Stuttgart's head coach, expressed caution about facing the Scottish champions. "Celtic have individual class and they've strengthened again in the winter," he said. "We need to be ice-cold and efficient. I can still remember the atmosphere here from visiting a few years ago. We're certain it is going to be fantastic."
As O'Neill reaches this personal landmark, the match against Stuttgart not only tests Celtic's European ambitions but also serves as a testament to his enduring passion and capability in management, proving that age is no barrier to success in the beautiful game.
