'Still place for older gentleman' - O'Neill coy on Celtic future

Breaking news from the world of sport: 'Still place for older gentleman' - O'Neill coy on Celtic futureImage source, SNSImage caption, Martin O'Neill is aiming to sign off with a league and cup doubleByThomas Duncan & Brian McLauchlinBBC Sport ScotlandPublished17 minutes agoMartin O'Neill says there is still a place in football management for "older gentlemen" as he kept the possibility of extending his Celtic stay open. The 74-year-old helped Celtic win the Scottish Premiership over his two interim spells this term, as they chased down Hearts to triumph on the final day. He will now aim to make it a double for the club in Saturday's Scottish Cup final against Dunfermline Athletic, which is due to be his final game in charge.

O'Neill says his focus is purely on that match, rather than what comes next, but says the past eight months have shown him he still has something to offer. "The pleasing thing for me if I truly reflect on it, is there is still a place in this game for older gentlemen," O'Neill told Scotland. "Despite the tactics that are involved now in the game, I do believe someone with some sort of experience can still play a part in proceedings.

Match Details

"Scottish Cup final: Celtic v Dunfermline AthleticSaturday 23 May, 15:00 BST Watch on iPlayer Listen on SoundsWatch live on One Scotland and the iPlayer; listen live on Sounds and Radio Scotland; follow live coverage and be part of the conversation on the Sport website and appHe added: "When I first stepped in way back in October, that was my main concern. Not having managed for some time, there are different ways of playing the game. "That was my concern, not about destroying anything I might have done 20-odd years ago but being too old to be in this game.

That is certainly a great sense of pride for me now. "Celtic had been linked with Motherwell's Jens Berthel Askou, but he is joining Toulouse, while Ferencvaros boss Robbie Keane has also been mentioned. O'Neill says he has not held major talks with Celtic's hierarchy about a potential role next season.

Asked if there will be any talks after the Scottish Cup final, the Northern Irishman said "I genuinely do not know". "I would not have expected anyone to say anything to me anyway," he added. "The response would have been we have to get Saturday out of the way and we'll see what develops from there.

The story has climbed to the top of the sports agenda, with fans and analysts following closely.