Celtic transfer rumour has emphatic clamp thrust upon it as one January move KO’d
The teenage defender wasn’t even born when O'Neill was previously in charge of Celtic
While the majority of Celtic fans will be keen to erase much of this season from their memory following a period of persistent off-field chaos and turmoil - one player who doesn’t want the campaign to end is full-back Colby Donovan.
The 19-year-old has arguably been the Hoops’ biggest success story so far this term. The talented defender is midway through a big breakout season at Parkhead and admits playing under experienced manager Martin O’Neill is a “dream come true” for several reasons.
Donovan wasn’t even born when the 73-year-old led the club the first time around, but an education from his father who idolised the Irishman means he now knows almost everything there is to know about the managerial icon.
After a relatively forgettable 2-0 Scottish Cup fourth round win over Auchinleck Talbot on Sunday - in which Donovan was asked to slot in at left-back for the first time in his career - the academy product feels O’Neill is managing to restore confidence in the squad again following his recent return to the club for a third stint in the dugout.
Under the Irishman, Celtic have secured 10 wins and seven clean sheets in 11 matches over his two short spells in charge this season. He initially guided the current crop of players through the shock resignation of Brendan Rodgers during an interim period and is now restoring order following the brief and ill-fated 33-day reign of Frenchman, Wilfried Nancy.
Yet despite an unsettled couple of months, these are moments Donovan intends to cherish for a lifetime having forced his way from the fringes of the first-team to now starting games regularly amid first-choice right-back Alistair Johnston’s continued injury absence.
Donovan’s sudden emergence from the B-team has seen him rack up far more appearances than he could’ve imagined and now finds himself at the forefront of O’Neill’s plans at a critical point on both European and domestic fronts.
There was rumours that fellow Premiership side Dundee were looking to sign him on loan in the January window, but that now seems unlikely to happen given his importance to O’Neill’s side.
“Yeah, it’s a dream come true for me, Donovan nodded. “My dad used to tell me about the stories about Martin, and then for him to come in, and me to play under him... it’s just, well words can’t describe it, to be honest.
“He’s been brilliant with the boys, he’s been great since he came in in his interim spell, and then for him coming back, it’s just brilliant. Since Martin’s come in, he’s just told us to play our game, play how we’ve played for the past years.
“So he’s given us a big confidence boost, and we just need to keep going now, keep winning games.
“It’s obviously going to be a huge week for us coming up with Europe on Thursday and the Hearts game on Sunday - it’s probably the biggest week that we’ve had this season. So we know it’s going to be tough, but we’re ready for it.”
Colby Donovan on ‘different’ experience of playing left-back
O’Neill opted to ring the changes against sixth-tier Auchinleck Talbot and Donovan found himself on the opposite flank to what he is used to, slotting in at left-back as part of a heavily rotated line-up.
Despite the change of position, Donovan confessed he is content to contribute from wherever on the pitch as long as he continues to be called upon.
He added: “Playing at left-back is something new for me. I’m normally playing on the right, and it’s just on the other side, so it’s something a bit different that I need to take into my game.
“It’s better for me that I can play right-back and left-back, so getting the start out there on the left was brilliant.”
Donovan eyes silverware to end bleak campaign on a strong note
Celtic were paired at home to Dundee in the last-16 of the competition and youngster Donovan is eyeing a positive end to what has been a fairly bleak campaign for the champions so far.
“It’s good it’s at home,” Donovan said when asked for his reaction to the fifth round draw. “We know Dundee are tough. Steven Pressley has got them set up very well and we saw that in the league recently. So for them coming to Celtic Park, we know it’ll be a tough game but we just need to dig in again.”