More than five months since the sacking of Wilfried Nancy, Celtic fans finally have confirmation of their club’s new manager.
It is the man who picked up the pieces not once but twice last season to guide the team to the Scottish Premiership title and the Scottish Cup.
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Martin O’Neill cemented his status as a legendary figure at Parkhead by ending a tumultuous campaign with a league and cup double.
Now the 74-year-old will be expected to build on that success in a full season in charge after being appointed permanent boss – but what are the key issues facing him and the club?
Improving style of play
In a chaotic campaign that brought two managerial exits, two caretaker returns from O’Neill, and serious unrest between the fans and the club, Celtic’s season quickly became about simply getting by.
They ultimately achieved that while winning, and in the end winning big as the double was claimed with a nine-match winning streak.
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Fans will not dwell on the unconvincing performances when they look back at the second-half goals that clinched glory in the title decider against Hearts.
Next term, however, the support will want to see more substance.
A lot of that will depend on O’Neill and his staff having a full pre-season with the squad, as well as improvements to a heavily criticised transfer policy.
Addressing recruitment goes beyond the manager, with changes expected in that department after several windows of underwhelming incomings.
Speculation also surrounds a number of Celtic players, with exits expected for Daizen Maeda, Arne Engels and Reo Hatate.
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Making mark in Europe
Celtic will find out their Champions League play-off opponents at the beginning of August [Getty Images]
Before long, the World Cup will have wrapped up and the new domestic season will be upon us.
It is just over seven weeks until the 2026-27 Premiership campaign begins on 1 August. Celtic will discover their Champions League play-off round fate two days later.
The first and second legs of the tie that will determine whether O’Neill’s men play among Europe’s elite next season will take place before the end of that month.
A humiliating defeat at the same stage a year ago against Kairat Almaty set the tone for Brendan Rodgers’ eventual resignation.
As well as dominating domestically, O’Neill’s initial spell in charge of Celtic in the early 2000s was also about overachieving in Europe – notably a Uefa Cup final in 2003.
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He showed signs of that European pedigree again with a Europa League win at Feyenoord and a draw with 10 men at Bologna, but Celtic’s campaign was effectively ended by a 4-1 home defeat to Stuttgart in the first leg of a knockout tie.
The Northern Irishman will want to improve on that next season. With the significant prize money that comes with Champions League qualification, both he and the club will hope the team are dining at Europe’s top table.
Final season of O’Neill?
Given the job O’Neill did during his two interim spells last term, many have viewed him as the safe option to take Celtic into the new campaign.
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However, plenty of fans are not convinced the club’s board will use that potential one-year security blanket to sort out the long-term plan.
There is an option for an extra season with O’Neill, should things go well and he wishes to stay, but at the age of 74 he has already conceded that life as a manager is not getting easier.
The next 12 months offer Celtic the chance to get their ducks in a row for the future while trying to maintain their dominance in Scotland and progressing in Europe.
But the support – many of whom have protested against the club’s hierarchy relentlessly over the past year – will need to see evidence of that if there is to be a chance of a unified atmosphere for the season ahead.
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