Martin O'Neill lifts lid on shock Celtic return and Dermot Desmond phone call that left him stunned

Martin O'Neill has stressed that he is a short-term fix at Celtic after revealing his astonishment at being asked to return as caretaker manager following the shock resignation of Brendan Rodgers.

The 73-year-old, who previously managed the club between 2000 and 2005, has been placed in temporary charge alongside Shaun Maloney after Rodgers and Celtic parted company on Monday evening.

O'Neill led the club to seven trophies across his previous tenure, including a treble in his first season as well as reaching the UEFA Cup final in 2003, but has been out of the game since a brief stint in charge of Nottingham Forest in 2019.

When Celtic principal shareholder Dermot Desmond called him out of the blue asking him to hold the fort, O'Neill admitted he could not turn him down despite being floored by the news.

Martin O'Neill has returned to Celtic as caretaker manager following the resignation of Brendan Rodgers. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group) | SNS Group

He told talkSPORT: "I got a call yesterday, late afternoon or early evening, from Dermot Desmond, asking would I step in because Brendan had resigned from the football club. It was shock news as much as anything else, it shocked me too.

"He asked me to step into the breach on a short-term deal for them until a manager is appointed.

"Like everything else, I took a gasp of breath, and thought 'is this real? Or surreal?' It's difficult to turn down the man who gave me the job in the first place 25 years ago. By the time I'd pulled myself off the floor, I thought then maybe I should do it.

"Who knows (if my heart is ruling my head)? It's short-term. Celtic maybe are stunned by the news that Brendan left. As a consequence, they are seeking a permanent manager, so this is a short-term fit.”

‘Interim means interim’

O’Neill stressed that he has no intentions of making a pitch for the job on a permanent basis, with Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna understood to be high on the Celtic shortlist, while former boss Ange Postecoglou has been installed as the early bookies favourite.

"Interim means interim. From my perspective, Celtic are looking for a young coach coming in now who has proven ability. That's how I view it and if I'm a Celtic fan just now, that's absolutely how I would view it. I'm just keeping the seat warm.

"Managers have to win football matches and at Celtic, that's always the case. If we can win some matches, that would give us some buying time until the new man is appointed."

O'Neill has little time to prepare for his Parkhead homecoming against Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday before taking on Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final at Hampden on Sunday.

"If I'd seen the fixture list, I possibly wouldn't have taken it...," the former Leicester and Aston Villa boss quipped. "That's supposed to be a joke, but I don't hear you laughing!

"It's come as a bit of a shock which I'm sure you can hear from my voice. But I'm working with Shaun, we go back years. He's experienced in management now and I'm sure he'll be a big help."

Acrimonious exit for Rodgers amid Desmond accusations

Rodgers won 11 trophies over two spells at Celtic but leaves the club eight points adrift of Premiership leaders Hearts with accusations from largest shareholder Desmond that he was guilty of stoking division between the board of directors and supporters.

The acrimonious nature of Desmond’s statement lifted the lid on the extent of the internal strife that had lingered at Celtic throughout a summer when they did not meet their objectives in the transfer market and failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Rodgers had publicly called for more attacking reinforcements and Desmond expressed “deep disappointment” with the former Liverpool boss. The Irishman claimed Rodgers had misrepresented the situation over his own contract talks and that the manager had “full knowledge, approval, and endorsement” over all transfers.

Desmond claimed that Rodgers’ words and actions had been “divisive, misleading, and self-serving”, contributed to a “toxic atmosphere” around the club and “fuelled hostility” towards the board.