Full Media Conference — Martin O'Neill discusses the final pre-season match (25/07/26)

[0:00] Pardon, how beneficial do you feel that was nine days out from the start of the week season? [0:04] Yeah, in terms of a pre-season game, I really enjoyed it. [0:07] I thought we did some really good things in the game. [0:10] Just a little spell after half-time, we lost a bit of concentration. [0:14] But overall, yeah, it was a great work out for us. [0:18] It's a pre-season game at the end. [0:20] Another goal and an assist for Kamil Durant. [0:23] How impressed have you been? [0:24] I think he's a really good player. [0:25] I think he's a really good player. [0:26] I think that if he stays clear of injury, I think he'll be a big asset to us. [0:33] There's also potentially another striker going to be joining him at the club. [0:36] As we understand, there's an agreement in place between Celtic and Durant. [0:40] Kasper Hoy. [0:41] Can we expect him to be a Celtic player before the week season starts? [0:44] Yeah, I'm hoping that that will happen. [0:48] I think there's a good chance of it. [0:50] But until someone's actually signed and sealed, there might be things still up in the air. [0:56] But, you know, it's certainly progressing. [1:00] What does the timeline look? [1:01] Have you got a medical booked in for him? [1:04] Yeah, apparently so. [1:05] Yeah, he will have one in the next 24 hours, I think. [1:09] In terms of other incomings, how many more would you like to have in an annual world before that? [1:14] I don't know. Numerically speaking, I think it's quality that we would probably be looking for. [1:17] You know, and quality at the affordable prices is a real premium. [1:25] But no, we are searching. [1:27] We still think that we need some extra players in. [1:31] But if he arrives, I think that's great for us to begin with. [1:37] And I'm hoping that we might get one or two more, if that's the case. [1:42] But there's a good fight on now for places in the team. [1:46] And we'll just take it from there. [1:49] Mika Bauer is another one that the club are interested in. [1:52] We've not quite met Panthorne's valuation yet. [1:55] We expected to go back in for him. [1:56] That I genuinely can't tell you. [2:01] I genuinely cannot tell you at this minute. [2:04] You know, I haven't been preparing for this game. [2:07] I'll see where we are tomorrow and things. [2:09] But yeah, and we've got a few other things in the pipeline that hopefully, [2:13] that might come to fruition, which will be great for us. [2:15] Have you been anxious at all about the delay in the signings? [2:18] You sat here last week and said you thought something would be done [2:20] because of the start of the week and obviously took one. [2:22] I just said that we were making good progress, and I think we are. [2:25] Also, I'm genuinely not. [2:28] I can remember this situation 25 years ago, so it's not new to me in that sense. [2:37] No, I'm not worried. [2:39] I've got good faith in the people being able to get the players in. [2:44] The fee that's been reported for Hoy would be a club record. [2:47] Would that be a statement, do you think, if that does go through? [2:51] Right, okay. [2:52] Okay, so what was paid for Kuhn and those players? [3:02] Is it? [3:04] Well, if it is... [3:05] It wasn't 11 million. [3:05] What? [3:05] It wasn't 11 million. [3:07] Was it not? [3:07] Okay, fine. [3:08] Oh, do you mean the fee you got for Kuhn? [3:09] No, I know that was about 25, wasn't it? [3:12] Oh, no, okay. [3:13] Yeah, yeah. [3:13] Yeah, yeah. [3:14] Engels was 11 million. [3:15] Was he? [3:15] Okay, so he leveled, if that's the case. [3:19] It's nice to know, you know. [3:21] But I think that without going too deeply into it, you know, [3:27] that's the calibre of player that we'd be looking for [3:30] who has scored goals in the Champions League. [3:33] I know he's not signed yet, but what can he offer, aside from... [3:39] When he is signed, I'm going to tell you. [3:42] I'm just following up from people's asking about the statements, [3:45] but do you think this kind of move, what it says about the club, [3:49] does it dig up, maybe help fans relax a little bit? [3:53] Because they've obviously got back tension the last few weeks [3:54] about signings and all that stuff. [3:56] Do you think it means it is that you are looking at proper ballpark [3:59] for the signings? [3:59] Okay. [4:00] Do you think that that tension is promoted by some people? [4:03] Don't do not. [4:05] You're right at the question, you're mad. [4:07] You know, absolutely. [4:07] So, yeah, well, I'm hoping that players coming into the football club [4:14] who are of, you know, some sort of substance, [4:17] I think that would be the exciting thing for fans. [4:21] I'm hoping that's the case. [4:23] Well, last season, I mean, we definitely, I don't know where we found our way, [4:28] but we did, for most of the time that I was here, [4:31] we struggled to score goals. [4:33] We did get goals in the point, you know, [4:35] but when you're sitting, when you don't have a recognised striker in the team. [4:41] I mean, Maeda come up brilliantly for us in the last six or seven weeks of the season. [4:46] But we didn't have that. [4:47] So that would be a big plus for us if we can do that. [4:51] Just following on from that, it's been announced by the club today [4:53] that Dyson Maeda's officially signed for Ipswich. [4:56] Can you just reflect on the job he's done for Celtic over the years [5:00] and how big a miss he'll be this year? [5:01] Yeah, naturally I will miss him. [5:04] He was in his last year of his contract. [5:06] And I think I said on Celtic TV earlier on this afternoon, [5:11] might as well repeat it, [5:13] that the club, before I came here, [5:15] the club made a real big offer to, you know, in our things, [5:21] big offer to stay away back at least 16 months ago. [5:26] And the lad refused to do it [5:28] in the sense that he wanted to play in the Premier League if he could, [5:33] or the Bundesliga, if that's the case. [5:35] So I will obviously miss him, [5:41] but I'm delighted for him at the same time. [5:44] Genuinely delighted for him. [5:46] He deserves the move. [5:47] I think I said this last year, [5:49] whether I was going to be here or not, [5:50] he deserves the move because he has been fantastic for the club. [5:55] And we will definitely miss him. [5:58] We will just miss his presence around about the place. [6:02] And I think Ipswich will be getting somebody that I think that they will grow to really like. [6:09] And I think that's big for him. [6:11] So he's 28, 29 years of age. [6:14] It's a chance to not... [6:17] I genuinely don't think otherwise he would have taken the money away back some time ago. [6:22] I'm not so sure that the money is driving force, but he will do really well. [6:28] And that's good news. [6:29] And he deserves it. [6:30] He deserves it. [6:31] Every single penny of it. [6:34] Because you start to put some of the young players, [6:35] Thomas Hatton almost scored a brilliant goal off the bench today. [6:38] What are the chances of some of those guys featuring? [6:39] That would be nice. [6:41] And I think that's the... [6:43] Tam has been with us the whole pre-season. [6:46] And same with Sean. [6:48] Sean McArdle. [6:49] Tam, I just congratulated him for his spell on the field. [6:53] He's prepared to take people on. [6:54] I think that's like a dying art, which is great. [6:57] So you'll get all the encouragement in the world. [6:59] And now he's a young lad making his way in the game. [7:03] And yeah, really encouraging. [7:06] You know, really encouraging. [7:07] Obviously, a battle on to try and get into the side, like anything else. [7:11] But I was really impressed with him. [7:14] As I have been impressed with his attitude during the whole pre-season. [7:18] What do you say with Boye and Gerrano? [7:20] Are there any types that can play together in your mind? [7:23] That's a good point. [7:24] I think that there's no reason why they shouldn't be able to do that. [7:28] No reason. [7:30] I really do like Gerrano. [7:32] I think he's a fine player. [7:33] He wants to do well. [7:35] Really good attitude. [7:36] He can close people down. [7:37] I'm not saying he's reached Maeda standard yet, but he's doing fine. [7:42] And he can get hold of the ball. [7:44] So, yeah, we need a few players in in that position, which I think I've said to you. [7:51] We've lost Maeda and there's Callum and Iachio's gone. [7:58] So, yeah, it would be nice to have them in. [8:01] You've not had some of your World Cup players, I think, Trusty, Trunce and Egan in the pre-season. [8:09] What are their timelines? [8:10] Are they going to be able for the first game of the season? [8:11] Right, well, Trusty comes back on Monday. [8:14] He's had some family things, you know. [8:18] I don't think I've given him a little bit of extra time, which I think he's deserved. [8:24] And Nygren's here at this minute. [8:27] Didn't play. [8:27] He's got a bit of an Achilles problem at the moment. [8:30] But he's, yeah, I'm probably less concerned about those boys because they have played matches in the World Cup. [8:40] Okay, so you take a little bit of a break. [8:42] And the last thing you want to do is be rushing them back. [8:44] Like Kieran plays for, what was it, 60 minutes today? [8:48] And, yeah, so it's by Monday, I think that everybody will be back. [8:55] Alistair, I was hoping that Alistair might have played maybe 20 minutes today. [9:00] He was ready for it. [9:02] I have to be guided by our, what do you call them? [9:08] Science guys. [9:10] Sports science guys. [9:12] Yes, I'm sure. [9:13] Sports science guys. [9:14] I like them to a bit, well, not a lot, but, yeah, so I have to be guided. [9:20] If anything happened to him, then I would get it in the neck from the sports science boys. [9:26] What, Yang's back? [9:27] Yang's back, yes. [9:29] He's done some training again. [9:30] And he, just a little bit of a hiccup there a couple of days ago, but he'll be fine. [9:37] He'll be ready to go. [9:38] He's eager to get another left back in, just so we'll see. [9:42] Yeah, that's, yeah, that's, that's, that's it. [9:45] Yeah, absolutely. [9:46] Yeah. [9:48] But, now I think the Achilles issue, is that something that might come out for a couple of weeks? [9:51] I don't think so, I don't think, I think he's been, I think he was okay, he played for Sweden, at least one of the games, you know, so I don't think it's, I don't think it's massive.