Celtic Step In After Sky Sports Request Involving Kris Boyd and Chris Sutton

Celtic’s weekend collapse against Rangers marked one of the bleakest moments of a turbulent campaign, a defeat that felt as symbolic as it was damaging. The scale of the performance left supporters stunned and rivals emboldened, with the mood around the club sinking to an uncomfortable low point.

For Sky Sports, it was an afternoon that offered Kris Boyd visible enjoyment inside the Celtic Park studio, as the Hoops unravelled under Wilfried Nancy. Such scenes are rare, but the sense of embarrassment was unmistakable. Nancy’s dismissal soon followed, a decision many felt should have arrived weeks earlier. Celtic moved quickly to restore some stability by turning to a familiar figure, handing Martin O’Neill a contract until the end of the season.

The shift in atmosphere was immediate. Confidence returned, optimism stirred, and Chris Sutton wasted little time in making sure Boyd noticed the change.

Speaking on Sky Sports Football (06/01/26), Sutton observed that Boyd “isn’t smiling” anymore following O’Neill’s return for a third spell. Boyd attempted to question the appointment by raising O’Neill’s age, suggesting Sutton would be critical if another club hired a 73-year-old. The exchange set the tone for a lively debate.

Sutton: “I think Celtic have a far better chance of winning the league with Martin at the helm. Kris isn’t smiling so much now that Martin’s back.

“The Celtic fanbase felt that under Wilfried Nancy, they had no chance of winning the league. Bring Martin back. Back him.”

Boyd: “Martin has come back in. How it will play out from now until the end of the season, nobody knows. Will he get players in? You would imagine that he will.

“Chris, I am surprised. If there were any other club that appointed a 73-year-old manager, you would have a lot to say about it.”

Sutton: “The age doesn’t matter. It’s his hunger. Martin has said that he doesn’t want to go beyond the season.

“So, he is going to put everything into this. He has come back to do the club a favour. Big split between the fanbase and the board. Martin is the glue trying to pull everyone together.”

Sutton later underlined the scale of O’Neill’s standing at the club, while issuing a clear warning to the board.

“Every player from my era adored Martin O’Neill,” he added. “I admire him so much coming back, the second time around… And if he’s not, it’s a dereliction of duty from the football hierarchy.”