Celtic midfielder Luke McCowan hails man management of Martin O'Neill

Celtic midfielder Luke McCowan feels Martin O’Neill has worked a perfect balancing act to get the best out of his players.

O’Neill secured a fifth win in six matches in interim charge alongside Shaun Maloney when the pair masterminded a 3-1 Europa League win over Feyenoord in Rotterdam.

The 73-year-old is now set to take charge of his final game as Celtic manager in Sunday’s William Hill Premiership encounter with Hibernian at Easter Road before making way for the anticipated arrival of Wilfried Nancy.

Thursday’s triumph ended a four-year wait for an away win in Europe and was Celtic’s first in the Netherlands since O’Neill led them to Champions League qualifying success against Ajax in 2001.

“He’s amazing,” McCowan said. “Just an unbelievable character. The way he talks in the team meetings, it’s just brilliant. He just says stuff that is at the top of his mind there and then, and it just breaks the ice within the whole room.

“He’s able to take the heat off a serious situation or a serious team talk, he’s able to make it fun and light but at the same time tells you that there are demands that come with playing for this club.

“That’s the main thing he always pushes. Even right after the game he came in and said, ‘Right lads, we’re in tomorrow, we’ve got a game on Sunday’. That was his first message.

“You can tell he’s been a top manager and that is why he is so respected.

“His best quality is man-managing people and getting the best out of the crowd that he’s got.

“It’s just been great seeing the sort of demands he places on everybody, knowing that when you play for Celtic this is what is needed. Then he’s just brought that humour with how he is, and it’s been great. It’s been class.”

Boyhood Celtic fan McCowan admitted it was “surreal” to be working under a man whose initial reign he had heard all about from family members.

“It’s been like a time machine and just how I thought it would be,” the 27-year-old said. “I would have loved to have seen him when he was 20 years younger and probably had more energy and more hunger!

“He’s been great for the boys as it has shown and as it will for Sunday too, and we just need to keep pushing and putting on performances.”

McCowan played a key role in Celtic’s equaliser after hitting the bar from close range following a corner.

“When you miss a chance from three yards out, it’s hard not to think about it,” the former Dundee player said.

“I actually ran straight to the fourth official and asked him if I was offside for sure.

“But even when we went a goal down, we knew we’d had that start and that gave us confidence for the rest of the first half. We then go and press hard and with good quality and we got the goals.”