Martin O'Neill reveals mad Celtic rush forces emergency London trip as Simon Jordan airs blockbuster theory
The 73-year-old is back in London as his hectic schedule continues ahead of a mammoth Europa League clash
Martin O’Neill revealed he had to fly back to London immediately after Celtic’s Premier Sports Cup win - to pick up his passport for his flight to Denmark.
The Irishman was appointed interim boss at Parkhead in a stunning move last week and the move was so out of the blue that O’Neill forgot to stick his travel documents in his suitcase.
And that meant O’Neill had to return to the family home south of the border so he can fly out with the rest of the Celtic squad for Thursday’s huge Europa League tie against league phase table toppers Midtjylland.
Pictures of the 73-year-old surfaced on social media on Sunday evening of O’Neill boarding an EasyJet flight just hours after the epic 3-1 Premier Sports Cup last four win over rivals Rangers at Hampden.
And he told talkSPORT, where he was a regular pundit before replacing Brendan Rodgers: “I was in such haste to get up there to Scotland last Tuesday that I’ve not got my passport so I had to go down to pick it up otherwise I wouldn’t get into Denmark.”
Lunchtime host Jim White, co-host Simon Jordan and Steve Bruce discussed the prospect of O’Neill staying on longer term amid the club’s search for a permanent boss.
Ex Crystal Palace chairman Jordan said: “He has given Celtic an opportunity to pause for thought. Not just about him but the consideration of who they’ve got to appoint.
“Celtic need to make the right decision. They don’t need to be hurried along. As long as Celtic are going well under Martin O’Neill it gives them an opportunity to consider and look.
“I personally think he could be there for the rest of the season. If the games are being won then what’s the rush? So what if he’s 73 years of age and twice the age of the man he was up against on Sunday which is a narrative I saw being peddled.
“If he’s winning games and keeping order then Dermot and the other shareholders don’t have to rush to make a decision which is a nice place to be. I would like to see him kept on until they next play Hearts at the start of December.”
Bruce added: “He’s walked in and calmed the storm straight away. It’s a shrewd appointment and it wouldn’t surprise us if he carried on, especially if he wins on Thursday and Sunday then they wouldn’t be against keeping him until the end of the season.
“I’m sure he would want to be involved in the cup final. You would never rule anything out.”