Q: You’ve added Mark Fotheringham to your backroom team. Can you just give your thinking behind that?
Martin O’Neill: “I thought he was a really good lad, had super, super self-confidence about himself, you know? If he’d had a tenth of the ability that his confidence suggested he had, he would have been Messi. But, great lad, I like him, really. I met him, I met him about, I’d say, about six or seven weeks ago by chance. I was at the League Managers Association meeting, and he was there. And it was really nice to meet him, I must admit. So I haven’t had a chance to see him. I’m surprised I haven’t heard him, but he’ll be fine. Fozzy will be fine, you know? He just needs, he just needs to sort out a little bit. He’ll be absolutely fine.”
Shaun Maloney: “Fozzy, he’s had a brilliant sort of coaching career, really. With Felix Magath out in Germany, he did brilliant work at Hertha Berlin. And then he did really well with Swansea last year, so completely different character to the rest of the coaches.”
Martin O’Neill: “By the way, I love him. I do love him. I love Fozzy. I have always done.”
Shaun Maloney: “Yeah, he’s a different character, so he’ll bring his own skill set, but he was a good lad. I think all the staff, this morning, wanted to pick the group up, and not just the players. You need people like Fozzy around and that sort of energy. So I’m looking forward to working with him.”
John Kennedy speaking to the media including The Celtic Star
Q: And just for both of you, have you got any words for John Kennedy, who’s also departed the club after many years of service?
Martin O’Neill: “John was just a young kid coming into the team when I was at Celtic. He played two games, he played Rangers and Barcelona, and then got that really bad injury when he was playing for Scotland. So, his career was really cut short as a player. He’s been part of Celtic for quite some considerable time. So I, again, obviously, I wish him well. I haven’t had a chance to speak to him, but the sort of changes had taken place before I came in.”
Q: Martin, you mentioned that your role here as interim manager is very much a temporary thing. Once that finishes, whenever that may be, do you think you’ll remain at the club in any sort of capacity?
Martin O’Neill: “That’s never been discussed, and I’m quite sure, no, I’ll just go into the sunset and disappear again. I wouldn’t imagine that’s the case. My job is here to try and, I suppose, if spirits are low, then part of my job is to do that, to lift it. And I think, in all honesty, I will get myself, I will get a lift from the team itself. But that’s not been discussed, and I wouldn’t imagine it.”
Callum McGregor’s equaliser…Hearts v Celtic, 26 October 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
Q: Shaun, you mentioned it was a tough day at Lennoxtown this morning. Who are the leaders in the dressing room? Who are the guys that you need to get on board with just now to take things forward between the group, yourself, and Martin?
Shaun Maloney: “We’ve got some experienced guys. Kasper is probably the most experienced. But in terms of the lads that probably come through the club, you’ve got Callum , James and Kieran. We relied heavily on them this morning. Alistair Johnston is a really big part of the group. Unfortunately, Cameron had surgery yesterday, I think, or he would have been part of that. So there’s enough experience, enough guys that have won, and enough guys probably that have experienced days like today. Yeah, we relied heavily on them this morning, and we’ll rely heavily on them tomorrow night. These moments are really, really difficult. I think as well, when you ask the question about John, he is a big part of what goes on on a daily basis. He’s a really extremely talented coach, very popular, so he’ll be missed. But it’s the senior players who will be relied upon and demanded more. I think it’s always the case, and it won’t be any different tomorrow night.”
Q: Martin, there’s a line in your book, I think it’s the very last line, where you talk about football as a lifelong addiction for you that you’ve been unable to shake off. Is that what brings you here at this late stage in your career?
Martin O’Neill: “I think that’s absolutely right. I think that would be it. Yes, it has been an addiction that you can’t shake off. When I was putting that last line in it, I didn’t think that this would materialise. Interestingly, I know it’s almost like 24 hours since I spoke to Dermot, but it is a bit surreal for me, really, at this minute. You can see, you know, lights shining in, and I’m thinking, ‘what have I done?’. No, I’m really excited by it, genuinely excited by it, and I am looking forward to it immensely. But you’re right, it’s a bit of an addiction. I’m kind of semi-enjoying doing a bit of punditry work, which is ridiculously easy when you can sit in a chair and criticise everybody else but yourself. I’m not so sure that I would come back out for many other clubs.”
Think MoN role is going to be trying to act as a peace keeping role more than anything else at present.
Trying to get through to the next international break with positive results, will be there first target imo.
Personally believe that Maloney will call the shots moreso upon selection, and formation, tactics etc etc. Think MoN will be more about installing belief and confidence into the ground, with maybe creating a better all round working environment.
Also don’t believe that all of this got resolved in a few hours yesterday either, by the sounds of things.
Of course it will be interesting to see just how the players react to the changes?
Could work, even if not totally inspiring as a first thought.
Don’t think it can be any worse than what the season has been to date.
But in football you never quite know if change is actually going to work out.
Still believe that the initial plan is trying to see if this new management structure, could get us through the remainder of this season.
As a supporter, I will continue to give them full backing, until circumstances should change.