Former Celtic, Sunderland and Aston Villa boss done with football management according to ex player

Former Celtic skipper Stiliyan Petrov has claimed that Martin O’Neill’s arrival as Hoops manager in June 2000 gave his Parkhead career a fresh lease of life after a tricky first season in Scotland.

Petrov was signed by John Barnes from Bulgarian heavyweights CSKA Sofia in the summer of 1999 for a reported figure of £2.8m.

The Bulgarian midfielder racked up 26 league appearances in his first season as he worked alongside two Liverpool legends in Barnes and later Kenny Dalglish. 

He lifted the Scottish League Cup in his debut campaign but struggled to settle in a new country as the Hoops finished in second position and an incredible 22 points behind eventual winners Rangers.

Petrov claimed he was homesick and lonely at the start of his Celtic career in a past interview with the Independent but claims that O’Neill’s arrival from Leicester City transformed his time in Glasgow.

He told Gambling.com:"He [Martin O’Neill] is a great, great manager. He gave me a new lease of life when he came to Celtic, and I’ve followed him since then.

"When you have a manager like that you appreciate it. We've got plenty of stories, but I'll just keep my mouth shut and respect the gaffer." 

Petrov won four Premiership titles, three Scottish Cups, two League Cups and was part of a team which reached the 2003 UEFA Cup final - beating the likes of Liverpool, Stuttgart and Celta Vigo before falling short in a 3-2 defeat to Jose Mourinho’s FC Porto in the final.

The midfielder ultimately followed O’Neill to Aston Villa in 2006 and over the course of his final six seasons became club captain, qualified for Europe on three occasions and racked up 219 appearances for the club.

He describes O’Neill as a great man and human being but does not feel the Northern Irishman will return to management based on recent conversations with him.

Petrov said: "I don't think he [Martin O’Neill] will [return to management]. After the last two conversations we had, he's got a different role now and I think he really enjoys it. He's on every TV station as well, so he's a media darling, or whatever you call it.”

"He deserves it for everything he's done in football. He's a great man and human being. Really smart. Strange humour, I would say, but we love him."

Petrov continues to watch Aston Villa and has been hugely impressed with Scotland star John McGinn, who he claims has the potential to score even more goals in the future.

He explained: "John [McGinn] is a great human being, a great footballer and a great captain. He leads the team in a perfect way. I do think John can show even more. He's got the potential to show more; score more goals, have more assists.

"This is what I expect from John, because he's got the capability to do it. But what I've seen, especially in the recent months, is that he does sacrifice some of his game to help others and act as a good captain. Sometimes people don't see that.

"But I watch pretty much every game and I do see it. Sometimes it's painful for the player, but when you're a captain you have to sacrifice, and he certainly does that."