Martin O'Neill in hospital after small procedure, Celtic confirm

Celtic announced that Martin O'Neill is still in the hospital after undergoing a 'small procedure.' The club did not elaborate on the nature of the procedure, but the 74-year-old is expected to be released within the next day or two. O'Neill was in the dugout Monday as Celtic opened the Scottish Premiership season with a 1-0 home win over Dundee. He took the job permanently in June, signing a one-year deal after two interim spells last season produced a Premiership and Scottish Cup double. "In response to speculation, we can confirm that Martin O'Neill has undergone a small procedure in hospital," Celtic posted. "We would envisage Martin being released from hospital in the next day or two and on behalf of Martin, we would like to thank supporters for their kind wishes. We would ask that the privacy of Martin and his family is respected." O'Neill had not managed since leaving Nottingham Forest in 2019 before making a surprise return to Celtic last October, 20 years after his first successful spell. The former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Republic of Ireland boss briefly handed the team to Wilfried Nancy in December, but the Frenchman was sacked after just eight games, opening the door for O'Neill to step back in. After winning his eighth and ninth major trophies with Celtic, he agreed to stay on full time, signing a one-year contract with the option for another season following talks with major shareholder Dermot Desmond.