With ten minutes left on the final day of the season, Celtic's grip on the Scottish Premiership title was slipping away. Then Daizen Maeda struck a late winner, and chaos ensued as Callum Osmand scrambled home another goal to seal the trophy in an unforgettable finish against Hearts. The following weekend, Celtic added the Scottish Cup to complete a league-and-cup double. Now, Martin O'Neill has been confirmed as the club's permanent manager after two caretaker spells, and supporters have real reason to feel excited about what comes next.
O'Neill, the 74-year-old Northern Irishman who holds legendary status at the club, took charge for 23 league games across his two interim periods and guided Celtic to 59 points. That works out to roughly 2.6 points per game. If you project that rate across a full 38-game season, the total comes to around 99 points — a figure that would rival the dominant title-winning campaigns O'Neill oversaw two decades ago, when he tallied 97, 103, 97, 98 and 92 points respectively.
The summer has brought fresh optimism too. Celtic broke their transfer record to sign striker Kasper Hogh from Bodo/Glimt, pairing him with Camilo Duran, who arrived from Qarabag. The two attackers cost a combined total of roughly £15 million and both bring Champions League experience. Duran scored five of his 15 goals for Qarabag in Europe's premier club competition last season, while Hogh netted the same number in the tournament during Bodo/Glimt's surprise run to the last 16.
O'Neill has said he wants his team to be flexible and has hinted at deploying Hogh and Duran together up front, potentially shifting away from Celtic's usual 4-3-3 formation. The manager is supported by a coaching team that includes Shaun Maloney, Mark Fotheringham and Stephen McManus, with Fotheringham known for his appreciation of high-intensity German football.
The club's principal shareholder, Dermot Desmond, has insisted Celtic will be well prepared for the season ahead. Whether this double-winning campaign marks a turning point in recruitment strategy — an area fans have long scrutinized — remains to be seen. But with O'Neill now settled in permanently and two proven forwards through the door, the mood at Parkhead is undeniably brighter than it was in January.