O'Neill staying at Celtic -- for now

GLASGOW (Reuters) -- Celtic manager Martin O'Neill confirmed Saturday that he would remain at the Scottish club for the coming season but hinted that he could seek a new challenge once his contract expires next June.

O'Neill has been at the centre of speculation over the vacant manager's job at Leeds United -- just as he was linked with Manchester United last year -- but reassured the Parkhead fans again on Saturday that he was staying.

"I was happy to honour my contract and that's what I'm going to do," he told the club's website.

"There are lots of things here for us to do. We are in the Champions League, albeit that might only be for one game but we're going to try our very, very best to make sure we get into the group stages, and of course we have a (Scottish) championship to try and retain.

"There's been mounting speculation and it's a wee bit like last season when we had to refute suggestions that Manchester United were knocking on the door.

"The most important thing is this: I am happy at Celtic, I always have been...it's a great club to be at and I'm happy to see my contract through.

"I have never really bothered with contracts, and as a player I signed five one-year contracts with Nottingham Forest and they are not the most important thing.

"Dermot Desmond (the club's major shareholder) had a conversation with me and he has told me that when the time is right we'll sit down and discuss the immediate future and I'm happy to leave it like that."

O'Neill won a domestic treble in his first season at Celtic and last season followed up by retaining the league title. But as one of the most in-demand managers in the game it seems unlikely that he will stay beyond the current campaign.

"Nothing is forever," he said. "More so now than ever.

"The days of someone staying at a football club for eight or 10 years are few and far between. There aren't many players now staying for ferocious lengths of time and that's because the money's good in the game and people are always looking for new challenges."

O'Neill had been tipped in the media as Leeds' number one choice to replace David O'Leary, who was sacked last month.

 

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