June 11 (Reuters) - Celtic have appointed Martin O’Neill as their permanent manager for the upcoming season, the Scottish champions said on Thursday, with the Northern Irishman signing a one-year contract that includes an option for a further year.
The 74-year-old, who twice took interim charge last season, guided Celtic to a Premiership and Scottish Cup double.
"Last season will live long in all our memories and to be part of that success has in a big way whetted the appetite to work again for more days like those and bring our supporters those moments," O’Neill said in a statement.
"I look forward to being back at Celtic Park next season when we will come together and we will strive again to bring our fans the success which that support deserves.”
O’Neill initially returned to Celtic in late October, two decades after a successful five-year spell in charge.
He oversaw eight matches, winning all domestic games, with his only defeat coming against Midtjylland in the Europa League, before stepping aside for Wilfried Nancy.
Nancy’s tenure proved short-lived, with six defeats in eight matches prompting his exit, paving the way for O’Neill’s return in early January through to the end of the campaign.
O’Neill enjoyed a decorated first spell at the club, delivering a domestic treble in his debut season in 2001 — Celtic’s first in 32 years — and guiding them to the UEFA Cup final in Seville in 2003.
(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
