Martin O’Neill has earned a place on the shortlist for the SFWA William Hill Manager of the Year honour following an impressive campaign in charge of Celtic…
The 74 year-old is joined among the nominees by Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou, Falkirk boss John McGlynn and Hearts gaffer Derek McInnes.
O’Neill has twice stepped into the Celtic dugout on an interim basis this season and has played a major role in reviving the Hoops’ fortunes domestically and in Europe.
Saint Martin could have been going for a Treble
Under his guidance, Celtic reached two domestic cup finals, advanced to the Europa League knockout rounds and re-entered the Scottish Premiership title race.
When Brendan Rodgers departed earlier in the season, Celtic trailed Hearts by eight points before O’Neill stabilised results and erased the gap prior to Wilfried Nancy’s arrival.
However, following Nancy’s disastrous spell in charge, Celtic once again found themselves chasing the league leaders by six points when O’Neill returned in January.
Since reassuming control, O’Neill has overseen a remarkable turnaround, with the club collecting more league points than any other side in the league during that period.
Three wins away from a league and cup double
With only two Premiership fixtures remaining, Celtic sit just a point behind Hearts and remain firmly in contention to secure the title.
O’Neill has also enjoyed success in the cup competitions, guiding Celtic to victories over the Ibrox club in both tournaments, while also delivering several notable performances on the European stage.
Among the standout moments of his latest spell was Sunday’s derby victory over theRangers, which marked Celtic’s first league win in the fixture in 20 months.
Another memorable result came earlier in the campaign with a 3-1 victory away to Feyenoord, ending the club’s four-year wait for a European away victory.
Despite inheriting a squad heavily affected by injuries and criticism throughout the season, O’Neill has restored belief around the club and strengthened his reputation as one of Celtic’s most iconic managers.
With the possibility of a league and cup double still alive, the veteran could yet complete a remarkable comeback season with major silverware.
The recipient of the SFWA William Hill Manager of the Year award is set to be confirmed later this month.
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