GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - JANUARY 28: Celtic Manager Martin O'Neill during a Celtic MD-1 press conference at the Lennoxtown Training Centre, on January 28, 2026, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Celtic remain in talks over appointing Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham as part of Martin O’Neill’s backroom team.
That is the view of David Friel of The Sun, a reporter with a decent track record of Celtic news.
In February 2021 Friel was first with the news that Neil Lennon was stepping down as Celtic manager. He had that exclusive 11 hours before Celtic made a Stock Market announcement.
Maloney and Fotheringham stepped in twice last season to assist O’Neill when he returned out of semi-retirement.
O’Neill was fulsome in his praise for the work put in by his assistants.
Often the veteran boss would deflect praise for himself to Maloney and Fotheringham, giving them credit for the work carried out on the training ground.
After covering the expected departure of Gavin Strachan, Friel explained in The Sun:
Parkhead chiefs continue contract talks with Martin O’Neill’s key coaches –Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham.
SunSport revealed Celtic had offered the duo wagecutsfrom thedealsthey were on last season.
Talks are ongoing with Maloney and Fotheringham – with O’Neill keen to have both on board.
But an agreement has yet to be reached, with some members of the Hoops’ first-team squad due back for pre-season at the end of next week.
Thursday will mark a week since the announcement of O’Neill’s appointment as permanent manager.
CELTIC MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE REMAINS IN DOUBT
Since then the only follow up content from the club was from Brian Wilson promising a busy couple of weeks.
With Strachan likely to depart the need to get the backroom staff sorted onto contracts increases.
Maloney has been linked with a multitude of roles around Celtic after stepping up from his role as Player Pathway Manager in October.
It is far from clear who is making the big decisions at Celtic.
O’Neill’s appointment seemed to be driven by Dermot Desmond. But there appears to be doubts over reinstating the two coaches that made big contributions to last season’s success.
Tomorrow morning the SPFL will publish the 26/27 Premiership fixtures which should provide some focus and targets.
Pre-season training starts on June 26 followed by a friendly against Shelbourne on July 7.
More importantly the SPFL starts on August 1/2 with the Champions League Play Off coming on August 18/19 and 25/26.
Don’t these clowns on the board or DD realise the resentment or the insult to them that fozzy and Maloney may be feeling after pulling off the unthinkable and getting us not only over the line with the title and then a double they slap both of them in the face by attempting to reduce their salary , fkn disgusting disgraceful behaviour from a bunch of parasites that almost cost us the league with their incompetence and meddling , but they’ll still get a nice juicy bonus for failure deliberate or not .
Celtic.. a club like no other, fkn hollow words from empty shirts unless your snout is in the trough within the boardroom.
World class in everything we do they claim, my arse.
Says it all….
The Board are a disgrace. The CEO & CFO are basically obtaining grossly over inflated salaries by deception.
The other Non Executive Directors should be holding the pair of them to account and should overrule DD’s influence as a NED. He is the largest individual shareholder but he does not have a majority share holding in the Club.
Typical celtic, get rid of players before they get players, get rid of coaches before we get coaches , get rid of managers before we get managers.
Those books wont balance themselves yi know.
Fucking joke.
A gin and orange, a lemon squash and a scotch and water, please!!
Con @ 5.45pm…
Nah – F*ck the Orange bit…
The rest is fine though !