O'Neill ideal for City: Macari

Martin O’Neill would make an ideal replacement for Kevin Keegan at Manchester City, according to Lou Macari.

Macari, the former Celtic and Manchester United player, is aware the Hoops boss is being linked with the City job.

Keegan has said he will retire at the end of next season but the under-achieving Barclays Premiership club’s board could ask him to go sooner.

O’Neill has been linked with a number of Premiership posts in the past but has always opted to stay at Celtic.

But Macari insisted a move to City to take on Alex Ferguson across the city was not impossible.

He told The Scottish Sun: “I think the City job would be a real challenge to Martin. Most of the speculation you can dismiss as froth but I wouldn’t be too sure about the City link. I wouldn’t dismiss it out of hand.

“I believe Martin could turn them around. The thought of Fergie and Martin battling it out in Manchester is quite a prospect indeed.

“I don’t think Martin would get the better of Alex at the start – he just wouldn’t have the money to do it – but I’m sure it would turn into a fascinating battle of the bosses.”

O’Neill, who was a European Cup winner as a player at Nottingham Forest, had a brief spell at City towards the end of his playing career.