Connie McLaughlin has taken to social media to correct a widely shared claim about her tense pre-match interview with Martin O’Neill, insisting the Celtic manager did not call her “honey” during their exchange before the Ferencvaros game.
The clarification followed a wave of messages sent to McLaughlin after the interview aired, with some viewers convinced they had heard O’Neill address her with a term that struck plenty of supporters as off. Writing on Instagram, as reported via MySportsTab, McLaughlin said the word in question was simply her own name, Connie. It’s a small detail, but it mattered enough to enough people that she felt the need to set the record straight before heading to bed.
The interview itself had already generated plenty of debate around O’Neill’s decision-making in goal, with McLaughlin asking him to explain why Viljami Sinisalo had come back in ahead of Sam Johnstone. O’Neill didn’t take kindly to being pressed on it so close to kick-off, and the exchange ended with him saying he’d rather explain his selections on Celtic TV than in a pitchside chat minutes before the game.
What Actually Got Said
Nobody disputes that the interview was awkward. What’s now clear is that the specific word fans latched onto simply wasn’t there – O’Neill used McLaughlin’s name, not the term some assumed. It’s worth remembering the context too: this was a manager fielding a straightforward tactical question in the minutes before a European tie, not the calmest environment for anyone involved.
That distinction matters, because the gap between what was actually said and what supporters believed they’d heard has shaped a good chunk of the reaction since. The broader questions around O’Neill’s current spell in charge haven’t gone away, but this particular flashpoint was, in the end, a case of mistaken hearing rather than anything more pointed.
Fans Weigh In
Plenty of supporters sided with McLaughlin regardless, with some describing the whole interview as a “car crash” and criticising what they saw as defensive, evasive answers from O’Neill. Others felt the questioning was entirely fair given the result on the night, and that O’Neill’s irritation said more about the pressure of the moment than anything else.
Either way, it’s the kind of exchange that tends to stick around social media longer than it probably deserves. Amid all that noise, it’s also worth remembering the credit O’Neill still commands from within the dressing room – Callum McGregor’s recent praise for his manager’s ability to bring the squad back together is a reminder that the picture inside Celtic Park isn’t as one-note as a single testy interview might suggest.
Closing Note
What this episode resolves is narrow: the “honey” claim was wrong, and McLaughlin has said as much herself. It doesn’t settle the wider debate over O’Neill’s media manner, his tactics, or where his Celtic tenure goes from here – those conversations will keep running regardless of what was or wasn’t said in one pre-match exchange.
