Martin O'Neill insists he remains determined to lead Celtic

WHAT HAPPENED
Martin O'Neill has told Celtic he is ready to continue as manager after a brief period of reflection during the current international break. The 74-year-old, who signed a one-year deal to stay at Parkhead, said he is “extremely prepared now for it” and remains determined to lead the club.

KEY CONTEXT
- O'Neill's contract followed two interim spells last season that culminated in a league and Scottish Cup double.
- He had questioned whether it was time to stop his managerial career after a difficult run that included two defeats by Rangers last month, either side of a 3-1 home loss to Ferencvaros in the Europa League, saying at the time “it might be time to wrap it up”.
- The club rallied around O'Neill, with chief executive Michael Nicholson publicly backing him, and the manager says the reflection was short-lived: “I want to lead the club, I want to try to win the league and I'm just as determined now than ever before.”

O'NEILL'S MESSAGE
O'Neill described the recent results as a difficult week but rejected the idea that they marked a terminal crisis, saying: “It's certainly not the end of the world as it seemed to be described as.” He added: “It was a time of reflection for a moment or two, but overall, I'm back, I'm raring to go and the team's ready.”