Martin O’Neill has confirmed he will remain as Celtic manager after using the international break to consider his future.
The 74-year-old had said he would reflect and speak to the board following three successive defeats, including two losses to Rangers and a Europa League setback against Ferencvaros.
O’Neill has now made clear that he is ready to continue leading Celtic and pursue the club’s objective of winning the league.
“I am. I’m extremely prepared for it,” O’Neill said when asked how determined he was to take the team forward.
He acknowledged the difficult run but played down suggestions that it represented a defining crisis for the club.
“We had a difficult week. It can happen, you can lose to your arch-rivals, you can lose a European game,” he said.
“It’s certainly not the end of the world, as it seemed to be described. But (I’m) ready to go.”
O’Neill said his period of reflection had been brief before he reached his decision.
“I did think I would take a little bit of time and it didn’t take me that much time to think about it,” he said.
“I want to lead the club, I want to try and win the league, which is what we set out to do, and just as determined now as ever before.”
He added: “It was a time of reflection for a moment or two and, yes, some things that you think about. But overall, I’m back, I’m raring to go and the team’s ready.”
