Shaun Maloney stepped in for the absent Martin O’Neill during Celtic’s William Hill Premiership match against Kilmarnock, as O’Neill continues to recover from a recent hospital procedure at the age of 74.
Despite his absence, O’Neill made a visit to the players at their team hotel before the game at Rugby Park and is showing signs of recovery following his health scare.
Earlier this week, Celtic released a statement confirming that the former Republic of Ireland manager had undergone a “small procedure” in the hospital on Wednesday and was discharged the next day.
Maloney shared with Sky Sports before the match: “He’s doing better. He visited the team hotel and spoke to the players, but he just needs a few more days. He’s definitely improving.”
Shaun Maloney was in charge during Celtic’s match against Kilmarnock (Robert Perry/PA) (PA Wire)
Maloney mentioned that while the team missed O’Neill’s presence in the dressing room, it didn’t hinder their performance. New signing Kasper Hogh scored a first-half hat-trick, leading to a 5-1 victory.
After the match, Maloney elaborated on O’Neill’s visit, stating: “He was at the team hotel and led the team meeting, addressing the players before telling the staff to carry on.”
“This week has been unlike anything I’ve experienced. The staff and the senior players have been fantastic. I’m truly happy for the boss to secure this win.
“We hope to have him back as soon as possible. We’ll continue to assess things day by day. He seemed to be in good spirits when he addressed the team.”
“As you know, his main message was to win. We had a normal meeting on Saturday night where we went through his team selection, and he involved the staff in the process.”
“It was uplifting to see him. There’s a strong bond between him and the players, and I’m glad he had the chance to speak with them before we left, as it had a positive effect.”
“Ultimately, it will depend on him and the doctors regarding his readiness to return.”