Former Celtic forward John Hartson says Martin O’Neill has the chance to place himself among the likes of Jock Stein should he steer Celtic to the Premiership title this season…
Celtic head into Sunday’s Glasgow Derby encounter with the Ibrox club knowing only a win will keep their title hopes alive.
While Hearts appear well positioned in the race for the title, Hartson believes the Hoops are still capable of pulling off a league and cup double, crediting O’Neill’s influence and winning mentality for keeping belief alive.
‘They’ve almost come back from the dead’
Speaking via Daily Record, Hartson said: “How big an achievement would it be? It would be right up there, remarkable. They’ve almost come back from the dead. When Wilfried Nancy was in charge, it looked like they’d gone.
“He’s already a god at Celtic. I think if he were to get this title over the line, it would be phenomenal.”
John Hartson admitted that Stein’s achievements remain the standard by which every Celtic manager is judged, though he feels O’Neill has an opportunity to strengthen his place in the club’s history even further.
“The Holy Grail is Jock Stein,” the Welshman said. “Nobody has ever been compared to Jock Stein.
“But I’m sure Martin, if he comes back and wins this title, he’ll be delighted himself and the fans will love him even more.
“He’s had another opportunity to galvanise himself. I was with him on Wednesday night, and we chatted away. He’s back, and he’s in great spirits.
“He’s excited about it. Martin is Martin, he wants to do it. But he knows it’s going to be ultimately down to his players. Because as much as he says, as much as he does, those players have to cross the line.”
Quick Tip – Add Celticshorts.com as your ‘Preferred Source’ on Google News for quick access to the Celtic content you value the most. It takes just a few seconds and you’ll notice the difference straight away! – Click HERE….Hail Hail!
