Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill has revealed that he turned down a big managerial job in the summer of 2016 but has refused to confirm it was with Celtic.
It is understood that three years ago the Hoops held talks with O’Neill about the post which at the time was being vacated by Ronny Deila.
In the end Brendan Rodgers was appointed as Hoops manager that May and inspired a remarkable run that has taken Celtic to an unprecedented treble treble.
O’Neill said he opted to lead Northern Ireland to the Euro 2016 finals rather than take up a club position.
He said: “I could have left Northern Ireland before the Euros but there was no way I would have taken that job.”
Asked if it was with Celtic, O’Neill, who last year turned down Scotland to sign a new IFA contract up to 2024, repeated: “I could have left before the Euros. There was no way I wasn’t going to go to the Euro 2016 finals. I wouldn’t have missed that experience for anything.
“Had we got the chance to go to the 2018 World Cup I wouldn’t have missed that experience for anything either.
“Those are experiences that are so memorable in a career of a manager. I don’t regret any of the decisions I’ve made and I’m glad I made the decision to sign the contract I signed to be here with Northern Ireland and continue.”
When Rodgers left for Leicester City in February, O’Neill was linked with the Celtic job again but the board decided to offer his friend and compatriot Neil Lennon the full-time role when the Parkhead men clinched their third treble in a row after the Lurgan man had replaced Rodgers on a caretaker basis.
