Celtic coaching staff will identify new signings needed asap, Martin O'Neill says

Celtic coaching staff will identify new player signings needed “as quickly as possible”, says returning interim-boss Martin O’Neill.

The 73-year-old has returned, again, to the Glasgow club following the departure of Wilfried Nancy, 33 days after making way for the Frenchman following an interim spell in which he won seven out of eight matches.

“We definitely need to supplement the squad,” he told a press conference at the club’s Lennoxtown training ground on Tuesday.

“Absolutely no question about that. And I think that Shaun [Maloney], for instance, has been working in the background on certain things.”

O’Neill said staff will identify and present potential new signings to him.

“Eventually I would like to be sitting here in front of you and saying, listen, all these players are my choice.

“I don’t have a great deal of time. Because before, at a football club, when I was at Celtic before, I would be able to run the rule over players, players that I knew, players that I maybe didn’t know, like Joos Valgaeren, for instance, way back years ago. But you take the chance on somebody who’s an international player.

“So here I will rely on Shaun (Maloney) and Mark (Fotheringham) and Steve (Woods), their opinion on players. But eventually it’ll be down to me as much as anything else. Or if they don’t do well, I’ll blame Shaun.

“And if they do brilliantly, I shall take all the credit.”

The former Republic of Ireland boss has been installed until the end of the season, and isn’t certain he would be able to push himself on again past the summer.

“I wonder whether I would have the capacity to go and carry on, and also I’m 112 next birthday, so I think time is kind of running out for me,” he said.

“I’d like to try and do well in it, and who knows what the board might think, but I would not be, and I’m serious about this, I wouldn’t be thinking any longer than the end of the season for me, regardless of what happens.”

Having come in to steady the ship after the exit of Brendan Rodgers, O’Neill left Celtic level on points with William Hill Premiership leaders Hearts with a game in hand and nine points ahead of Rangers.

However, Celtic lost six out of eight matches under Nancy and are now six points behind Hearts with the same number of matches played – and would be three off Rangers in third if the Light Blues beat Aberdeen at Ibrox on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Celtic have ended the loan spell of Manchester City youngster Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, who will now spend the rest of the season with Cologne.