O'Neill: I'm just keeping Celtic's seat warm

O'Neill, who departed Celtic Park 20 years ago after winning a lot of trophies, will take over after Brendan Rodgers shocked everyone by quitting on Monday.

After that exit, big shareholder Dermot Desmond made a harsh statement in which he called Rodgers' conduct while in office "divisive, misleading, and self-serving."

O'Neill told TalkSport, "I took a gasp of breath and asked if this was real." His debut game will be at home against Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday.

"It's hard to say no to someone who gave you the job in the first place when they had a lot of good options 25 years ago." I figured I should do it by the time I got up from the floor.

The 73-year-old last managed in 2019, when he was in charge of Nottingham Forest for a short time after being the Republic of Ireland manager the year before.

O'Neill's time at Celtic was legendary for the fans, and few people are held in more regard than he is.

He led Celtic to the UEFA Cup final and won three league crowns, three Scottish Cups, and a Scottish League Cup.

"It's only for a little while. Celtic is probably shocked to hear that Brendan gone. O'Neill, who has brought in Shaun Maloney to help him, said, "They are clearly looking for a permanent manager, so this is only a short-term fit."

"Interim" does mean "interim." That's all there is to it. I think Celtic wants a young coach who has already shown they can do the job. We want to move the club forward now.

"I had a great time at Celtic, of course. It was an honor. I can't stress enough that this is only temporary until a permanent manager is found. I'll simply sit here and wait.

"I might just call Henrick Larsson and ask him if he has been working out."

After losing 3-1 at Tynecastle on Sunday, the Scottish Premiership champions are now eight points behind early leaders Heart of Midlothian.

Celtic's European campaign hasn't been great either, and the transfer market has been hard for them.

Desmond wrote a shocking letter to fans in which he disputed Rodgers' claim that he had not been formally offered a contract extension, claimed that signings were forced on the manager, and criticized his "desire for self-preservation at the expense of others."

"In actuality, he had the final say on all football things and was always supported in the hiring process, even when record amounts of money were spent on players he personally chose and approved.

"Sadly, what he has said and done since then has been divisive, misleading, and selfish. They have made the club's climate toxic and made people angry at members of the executive team and the board.

"What went wrong recently wasn't because of our structure or model; it was because one person wanted to save themselves at the expense of others."

People have asked Rodgers for a comment.