Martin O'Neill: CelticPlayer exclusive interview

Celtic are aiming to bounce back in the best possible way after Sunday’s derby disappointment at Ibrox by kicking off their UEFA Europa League campaign with three points against Ferencvaros on Thursday (September 17, KO: 8pm). A victory against the Hungarian visitors at Celtic Park would also set the Hoops up perfectly for Sunday’s Glasgow derby which will see Rangers travel to the East End of Glasgow for a midday kick-off in the Scottish Premiership. Victories in both of this week’s fixtures would clearly be a huge positive for the Celts ahead of the international break, and would round off a good week for Celtic right-back Colby Donovan, who has been selected by Sebastien Pocognoli for his first senior Scotland call-up. It is an accolade that the young Scotsman richly deserves after his recent performances and, speaking exclusively to CelticPlayer at Lennoxtown today (Tuesday, September 15), Martin O’Neill was full of praise for Donovan in light of his Scotland call-up. “I am delighted for him, absolutely delighted,” the Celtic manager said. “He’s got a massive heart. There are obviously parts of his game that he can tidy up, which he is willing to do. “He’s a great character as well too. He never seems to be down at all, and always has that proverbial smile on his face. ‘Coming in to training, Colby wants to work hard, he wants to learn, and this is great for him, really great.’ “Genuinely, it’s the icing on the cake isn’t it really? And with Scotland qualifying now for competitions, it would be great to be involved with that. “But it’s a big lift, and that will give him a big boost of confidence as well.”Earlier today (Tuesday), it was announced by the club that the legendary Danny McGrain has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Widely regarded as the best right-back in world football during the 1970s, Danny is a true a legend of the game, and Martin O’Neill, whose playing career coincided with Danny’s, reflected on his own relationship with the Celtic legend over the years. He said: “Danny was not only a fantastic Celtic player, but he was a great player and the captain of Scotland. “I remember, before the World Cup in 1982, Danny, Kevin Keegan and myself were all photographed together. “Danny was here working with the reserves when I came here in my first spell. He was just a phenomenal footballer and a really great character.” You can watch Martin O'Neill's full interview exclusively on CelticPlayer.FixturesCeltic Vs. Ferencvárosi TC - Thu, Sep 17th 2026, 20:00