O'Neill says decision to remain at Celtic 'didn't take that long'

Martin O'Neill said his choice to stay on as Celtic manager "didn't take that long" as he prepared to take his side to Fir Park for Sunday's Scottish Premiership visit to Motherwell. He also stressed his "great enthusiasm" for the role.

The 74-year-old signed a one-year deal after two interim spells last season that ended with a league and Scottish Cup double. A sequence of three defeats — two losses to Rangers last month either side of a 3-1 home defeat by Ferencvaros in the Europa League — prompted O'Neill to say initially that "it might be time to wrap it up." He has since decided to continue in the post.

Reflecting on the recent results, O'Neill said: "Obviously, I'm disappointed with the week that we had." He added that he was willing to keep managing so long as the club wanted him, telling reporters, "As long as the football club wanted me, I was happy to do it." Three weeks have passed since a 1-0 home loss to Rangers, Celtic's first dropped points in the league.

On the timing of any potential departure, O'Neill said: "Leaving at this particular stage would have been poor." He explained that the international break had given him time to reflect, saying, "Deep down, obviously through the disappointment of losing the games and maybe with the international break coming up at the time, maybe it gave me a little bit of time to reflect. Had there been no international break, I probably wouldn't even have said what I said."

O'Neill pointed to last season's success as motivation, saying it "gives you that spur to want to go and do it." He noted the fixture congestion ahead, with nine games to play over a 28-day period before the next international break, and added: "This is what you want to be involved in. Whether you're good enough to play European football might be another thing. But at least you want to be involved in it. So we go with it." He also said, "I have belief in the team and I think that our focus should be to try to win the league."

Recalling his earlier spell at the club, O'Neill pointed to silverware won between 2000 and 2005, when he secured seven trophies. He reiterated his personal commitment to the game, saying: "I have great enthusiasm. I always have had a great enthusiasm for the game of football." On last season he added: "I enjoyed last season in a strange sort of way, even though I sometimes say that I don't enjoy management - but I'm past the joking stage. You naturally get concerned for the games. I'm always worried about football matches."

Celtic's immediate challenge is the Premiership trip to Motherwell at Fir Park on Sunday, the first of the nine fixtures O'Neill cited in the 28-day run before the next international break.