McGowan gives insight into Celtic talks over O’Neill’s future

Journalist Stephen McGowan reported that Martin O'Neill will ultimately decide his own future as Celtic manager following discussions with majority shareholder Dermot Desmond. Speculation over O'Neill's role intensified after Celtic suffered three defeats in eight days, leading into a 21-day international break. Following Sunday's derby loss, O'Neill announced in his post-match media conference that he would enter an immediate period of self-reflection.

According to McGowan, Desmond has no intention of firing O'Neill, leaving any potential managerial change entirely up to the manager. O'Neill originally took over permanently on June 11 after two interim spells. The team underwent major squad changes over the summer, including selling Daizen Maeda to Ipswich and Arne Engels to West Ham, alongside signings such as Kasper Hogh and Jordan Lotomba.