​Celtic has confirmed that Shaun Maloney, Mark Fotheringham, and Stephen McManus will remain on Martin O’Neill’s coaching staff for the upcoming season, bringing an end to weeks of unwarranted uncertainty. The club announced the trio’s continued roles on the very morning players returned for pre-season, a timing that underscored how long the staff situation had dragged on since O’Neill’s permanent appointment on June 11.
The delay did not appear accidental. Reports suggested the club had asked Maloney and Fotheringham to take pay cuts to stay, a move widely criticized given that these men helped deliver a league and Scottish Cup double. Public praise for the staff’s importance came from figures like Jackie McNamara, who highlighted their instrumental role in last season’s success, and Peter Martin of PLZ Soccer, who described Maloney as indispensable to O’Neill’s operation. O’Neill himself had made clear that retaining Maloney and Fotheringham was crucial, and his advocacy for their signatures suggested the negotiations were not being handled smoothly at boardroom level.
The staff who achieved the double have strong roots in the club’s recent stability. Maloney and McManus stepped up from internal roles during O’Neill’s two interim periods, helping steady Celtic after Brendan Rodgers’ departure and Wilfried Nancy’s brief tenure. McManus had been leading the B team before his promotion; Maloney and Fotheringham were central to first-team training on the grass, and their continuity helped secure Celtic’s success in the league and cup.
Fotheringham, who previously managed Huddersfield Town, has brought a fresh perspective and has integrated quickly. The three coaches now provide genuine structural consistency as Celtic navigates European qualifiers from the outset. The notable departure is Gavin Strachan, who has left for West Bromwich Albion, with the club exploring options to complete the backroom setup and linking with names such as Efrain Juarez for potential roles.
O’Neill remained measured in his assessment, praising everyone at the club for their part in last season’s achievements and expressing a forward-looking wish to deliver more success for the supporters. The decision to retain the right staff is correct, even if the road to reaching this point should not have been so protracted. Mon The Hoops.