Celtic figure admits 'reasonable' chance Hearts clash will be his last at Parkhead as he expects exit
The Hoops will face Hearts this weekend in an all-or-nothing title showdown
Celtic boss Martin O’Neill has suggested there is ‘more than a reasonable’ chance that Saturday’s title decider against Hearts will be the last in the Parkhead dugout.
The 74-year old has taken over on two occasions this season and both times has steadied the ship. After a late flurry of victories the Hoops are now in a position where they can win the league on the final day with a victory over league leaders Hearts. O’Neill is now set to leave the club 26 years after he first entered the Celtic Park gates for his first spell. Overall during his tenure, he’s won seven major honours, a figure that would rise to nine if Celtic win their next two.
There have been murmurs of the veteran boss staying on beyond the end of the season despite his contract running out at the end of the month, however in his press conference ahead of the Hearts final day, he claimed that there’s a ‘more than reasonable chance’ it’ll be his last on the Celtic Park touchline.
O’Neill set to bow out after Hearts clash
He said: “I think there’s a more than a reasonable chance that it’ll (Hearts) be my last game. It was a privilege to come back again for a start this particular year. I'd never have thought in a million years that this could have happened, really, and so I should actually enjoy it. I should actually enjoy it more than I'm doing. I mean, when I left here in 2005, I didn't come back and become the manager in 2007 or 2009. It took me 20-odd years to do that. So I should enjoy it a bit more than I'm doing.”
Now all that’s left for the Hoops boss is to ensure he goes out on a high. As well as the Hearts clash, Celtic also have the Scottish Cup final to attend to at Hampden next weekend against former boss Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline Athletic. If Celtic are to lift the league trophy for the fifth consecutive season, they’ll have to beat Hearts for the first time this season, as Derek McInnes’ side have won two of their last three meetings, with the other being the 2-2 stalemate at Tynecastle the last time they met in January.
Hoops to go out ‘all guns blazing’ for final day shootout
On the game itself, O’Neill believes Hearts have a slight ‘advantage’ given their superior league position but says his side will be going all out for the victory they require. He continued: “We're really looking forward to it now and why shouldn't we? I think it's a big, big game. Naturally, we have to win it. Hearts don't. So the advantage is with them in that aspect. But yeah, we're going at it all. Just all guns blazing to try and win.
“I just think they're ready for the game. I think that, yeah, they've had things their own way in recent times. Now they've had to fight, and so far they've shown that they're up for it, they're ready to go. But listen, the game's in the balance, really. We're at home, we have to win. Hearts have to just avoid defeat. As I said to you earlier, it's a wee bit of an advantage. However, it'll be a tough game for both teams.”