MARTIN O’NEILL’S CELTIC FUTURE THROWN INTO DOUBT — ROY KEANE SIGHTING ADDS NEW TWIST TO PARKHEAD MANAGER DRAMA

Martin O’Neill’s Celtic future has suddenly become uncertain after the veteran manager admitted he will take time this week to consider whether he can still help the team.

The 74-year-old was speaking after Celtic suffered another derby defeat to Rangers on Sunday, with Ryan Naderi’s first-half goal handing the Ibrox side the bragging rights.

The loss came less than two weeks after Rangers had also beaten Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals.

O’Neill’s post-match comments immediately raised questions about whether he will remain in the Parkhead dugout.

“It’s a matter of whether I can help the team,” he said. “The manager’s supposed to be able to do that.”

He added that he would “have a look at that there this week”, while acknowledging that his age had become part of the conversation.

“And you know what? They may well be right,” O’Neill said.

ROY KEANE’S CELTIC PARK APPEARANCE FUELS SPECULATION

Amid the uncertainty, Roy Keane was spotted at Celtic Park for Sunday’s Rangers clash — inevitably adding another layer to the speculation.

The former Manchester United and Ireland midfielder has been linked with the Celtic job before, including earlier this year when Wilfried Nancy was dismissed.

Keane has not managed a team since his difficult spell at Ipswich more than a decade ago, but his presence in the stands has already prompted questions about whether he could be considered if O’Neill steps aside.

THOMAS FRANK

Thomas Frank would represent one of the biggest names potentially available to Celtic.

The former Brentford and Tottenham boss remains highly regarded for his work at Brentford, despite his spell in north London failing to produce the same results.

Convincing Frank to move to Scotland would still be a major challenge, but his appointment would represent a significant coup for the Hoops.

ROBBIE KEANE

Robbie Keane has already been linked with Celtic once this year.

The former Republic of Ireland striker was reportedly considered when Nancy left the club but ultimately did not make the move.

Since then, Keane has added further managerial experience, having led Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ferencvaros to domestic titles in Israel and Hungary.

A return to Celtic, where he enjoyed a memorable playing spell, could therefore become a possibility if the club is forced back into the market.

KIERAN MCKENNA

Kieran McKenna would be another ambitious option.

The former Ipswich boss is currently on hiatus, although Celtic would face a major financial hurdle if they attempted to bring him in.

Ipswich are reportedly still due around £8million in compensation if McKenna takes another job before the end of the season.

That figure could make any approach particularly complicated.

SHAUN MALONEY

Shaun Maloney already knows Celtic and O’Neill’s set-up extremely well.

The former Hoops midfielder has long been regarded as a potential future Celtic manager and has also worked as part of O’Neill’s coaching team.

He could therefore offer continuity if Celtic wanted to promote from within.

The bigger question would be whether the club wants to maintain its current structure or take the opportunity to go in a completely different direction.

THE KEANE QUESTION

For now, O’Neill’s future remains the central issue.

His comments after the Rangers defeat have opened the door to a possible change, while Keane’s presence at Celtic Park has inevitably intensified the speculation around who could take over.

But with no decision yet confirmed, the focus will now turn to O’Neill’s review this week — and whether he ultimately decides he can still lead Celtic forward.