Hartson hopes O’Neill will stay at Celtic
O’Neill, whose current deal expires in the summer, has been absent from the Scottish champions mid-winter training camp in Florida while holding negotiations on a new contract in Barbados.
He was expected to join up with the players yesterday and striker John Hartson said the squad expected an announcement imminently.
“My gut feeling is we will all get our answer very shortly because there is a lot of pressure from the fans and the press,” the Welsh international told the Daily Record.
Having dragged Celtic out of the doldrums with back-to-back Scottish Premier League titles, O’Neill is one of the hottest managerial properties around. He was approached by Leeds before the appointment of Terry Venables last summer, has frequently been tipped as Alex Ferguson’s successor at Manchester United and, in recent days, has been speculatively linked to a possible move to Liverpool, where Gerard Houllier is under pressure following the club’s recent slump.
Hartson said the players were keen to know what O’Neill’s intentions were, but said they would understand if he opted to leave Parkhead in pursuit of a fresh challenge elsewhere.
“I just feel he should be allowed to make his own decision,” Hartson said.
“He’s been unbelievably successful when you consider the amount of trophies he has won this club and the turmoil we were in before he arrived.
“So people must respect his decision, whether he stays or goes. I can understand the anxiety because the fans want to know his answer.
“I understand that and I think the players would like to know as well. But he’s his own man and it’s entirely up to him.
“I would certainly like to see him stay. He brought me to the club, showed faith in me and was brave enough to pay a lot of money for me.
“I’d be gutted if he went as I think most of the boys would be, but everybody wants to know the decision and the majority of people want to see him stay.”
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