Martin O’Neill has made a surprise return to management, replacing Brendan Rodgers on an interim basis at Celtic, the club he nearly left to join Leeds United.
One-time Leeds United managerial target Brendan Rodgers sensationally resigned from Celtic, with the club sitting second in the table, eight points behind surprise Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts.
Former Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has returned to the Scottish giants on an interim deal, having last managed in 2019 at Leeds’ current Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest.
However, the former Leicester City manager was linked with a move to Leeds on several occasions, as the club competed for the Champions League in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
As he prepares to take over the reins at Celtic for his second spell in charge, Leeds United News looks back on how close he came to moving to Elland Road.
Martin O'Neill of Leicester City
12 Sep 1998: Leicester City Manager Martin O''Neill during the FA Carling Premiership game against Arsenal at Filbert Street, Leicester, England. The game ended 1-1. Mandatory Credit: Allsport UK /Allsport
Martin O’Neill was on the shortlist to replace George Graham
It is almost 27 years to the day since David O’Leary accepted an offer to manage Leeds permanently, after George Graham’s dramatic departure to join Celtic.
However, O’Neill was one of the front-runners to take over from Graham, having guided the Foxes back into the top flight in 1996, and led them to a League Cup triumph in 1997.
Former Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale urged O’Neill to pick up the phone and speak to Leeds, as Leicester blocked their advances. Speaking in the Telegraph and Argus in October 1998, Ridsdale said: “Our position is that we would love to talk to Martin O’Neill.”
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Ridsdale added: “It’s up to Martin to make the first move. He says he has this gentleman’s agreement with Leicester. If that’s the case, then he should turn round and say to them, ‘I’m going to pick up the phone and talk to Leeds.'”
However, that call never came and, speaking in a 1998 report by the BBC, O’Neill admitted that the affection of the Leicester crowd helped him make up his mind. “The alternative of walking out on a contract was not too palatable,” O’Neill said.
“Obviously, Monday night’s reaction of the crowd was very influential and I have to say as well that the players played a part in it too.”
Martin O'Neill of Leicester City
4 Dec 1999: Leicester City manager Martin O''Neill receives the Manager of the Month Award for November before the FA Carling Premiership match against Arsenal at Filbert Street in Leicester, England. Arsenal won 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Clive Mason /Allsport
Leeds United legend urged club to get Martin O’Neill in 2002
By the time David O’Leary eventually left Leeds at the end of the 2001/2002 season, O’Neill had moved to Celtic and guided them to back-to-back Scottish Premiership titles.
Leeds eventually appointed Terry Venables, whose short and unhappy reign was derailed by the club’s decision to sell defender Jonathan Woodgate.
However, prior to Venables’ appointment, Leeds legend Peter Lorimer urged the club to finally bring O’Neill to the club. Speaking in the Telegraph and Argus in 2002, Lorimer said: “Leeds must dismiss all concerns about getting another knock-back from Martin.
“They must grasp the nettle and make their move.” Before adding, “The Leeds players want Martin, the fans want him and my message to Peter Ridsdale is – everybody is behind you, so go out and get him.
“What Leeds need is a manager who can get them back into the Champions League straight away – and Martin is that man.”
Despite Lorimer’s pleas, Celtic denied that they ever received an approach from Leeds following O’Leary’s departure and Venables was handed the poisoned chalice of attempting to steer the club back into Europe.
Martin O'Neill during Motherwell v Celtic
Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Martin O’Neill signed conditional Leeds agreement
With his relationship with Venables collapsing and the former England manager appearing destined to leave Elland Road, Ridsdale made one last attempt to tempt O’Neill to the club.
Speaking to the BBC in 2007, O’Neill admitted that he had signed a conditional statement of intent to join Leeds in 2003, while he was still manager at Celtic.
However, the then Aston Villa boss claimed that the conditions which he had outlined in the document had not been met, as he eventually agreed a new deal with Celtic.
“The letter was full of conditions which I found out later hadn’t been true,” O’Neill said. “Peter told me that Terry Venables, who was manager at the time, was thinking of leaving. I spoke to Terry and found out he was not thinking of leaving.”
Before adding: “I signed some statement of intent on the understanding of quite a number of conditions. It was not a contract as such. How could I have signed a legally-binding agreement with Leeds and then agreed a new contract with Celtic?”
Former Leeds target is not expecting his Celtic return to become permanent
Ultimately, Leeds never got their man, as O’Neill enjoyed a successful spell at Villa Park, ironically replacing David O’Leary, before subsequent spells with Sunderland and the Republic of Ireland.
At the age of 73, O’Neill could have been forgiven for thinking his managerial career was over before the surprise call came from Celtic.
However, speaking to TalkSport, O’Neill does not expect his return to become a permanent one, as he prepares to lead out his former club once again.
O’Neill said: “Interim does mean that to me. Absolutely. It’s really as simple as that. Celtic are looking for, I would have assumed, a young coach coming in now who has a proven ability and would be wanting to pull the club forward now from their position as it stands.
“That’s how I would view it and I suppose if I was a Celtic fan, I would absolutely see it.”
27 years on from first being linked with the Leeds job, who knows how differently history would have played out had he done as Ridsdale asked and picked up the phone in 1998.