O'Neill fuming at Ganea horror tackle on Kennedy

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill today ripped up Vio Ganea’s apology for the horror challenge which has left John Kennedy fighting for his career.

Kennedy faces a year out of the game after his dream Scotland debut in midweek was ruined by an “unnecessary” and “woeful” lunge from Romania’s Vio Ganea.

Wolves striker Ganea has since said he was sorry for his tackle on the talented 20-year-old defender but that did nothing to ease O’Neill’s anger.

“I don’t know about John but that doesn’t mean a great deal to myself,” he snapped. “It was totally unnecessary.

“It’s alright coming out with an apology afterwards but the lad’s career is in jeopardy.

“I think it’s too easy for players to come and say sorry but at the end of the day the lunge was utterly uncalled for.”

Kennedy rose to prominence with heroic performances against Barcelona and Rangers but a clearly upset O’Neill was adamant that it had overshadowed their recent success.

Celtic could win the championship this weekend but somehow it will not ease the pain of this week’s sad events.

“It was a terrible challenge,” continued O’Neill. “It’s a terrible blow for the lad himself and obviously it's a blow for the club.

“That’s immaterial – it was a desperately poor challenge and that’s putting it mildly.

“He’s gone from the biggest high imaginable of the Nou Camp, then Rangers and then a Scotland debut to being cut down like this.

“It is a terrible blow for him and overshadows everything else in the last week or so.

“You can get injured anywhere but it is all the more galling as it was a challenge in a meaningless friendly game.

“He’s devastated and so are his team-mates. It’s a poor injury and a desperately bad one.

“Berti Vogts hasn’t been in touch at this minute but I wouldn’t read too much into that.

“At the moment we are all pretty devastated – this is the worst possible news.”