Celtic sack manager - with familiar face to return... again

Martin O'Neill is to return for a third spell in charge of Celtic after the Glasgow giants sacked former boss Wilfried Nancy.

Nancy was dismissed after just eight games in charge - following Saturday's 3-1 Old Firm defeat to bitter rivals Rangers. They lost six of those games - four consecutively, and trail Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.

But this evening the Glasgow giants have confirmed that O'Neill will be joining the club as manager until the end of the season. O'Neill will be supported by Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham as assistants, as well as Stephen McManus, who the club said would "join our existing coaches, Gavin Strachan, Stevie Woods and Greg Wallace to oversee first-team matters".

O'Neill said: "I am really pleased, in fact, very honoured to be asked back to manage the team again, and I am looking forward to getting back to work again with the players. "I know we would all have hoped for things to have worked out differently under Wilfried, and I personally want to wish him good luck with everything he does in the game.

He is a fine man and I am sure he will go on and achieve success again, I have no doubt of that. "For me, I've been asked to take this great job on again and my focus will be to try and get us back to winning ways if we can.

We will need everyone right behind us. "We still have a lot to look forward to and a lot to try and achieve, and myself, Shaun and the coaching staff and, of course, the players will be giving everything to achieve all the success we can for the club." Brian Wilson, Celtic's Interim chairman, said: "The way things worked out for Wilfried Nancy is an intense disappointment, not least from a purely human perspective.

We wish him and his family well. "By bringing Martin back to the club, we look forward with confidence, giving the team real focus for the challenges ahead.

He is a manager the players, staff and supporters know well, with a peerless reputation in football and a deep commitment to Celtic. "The immediate priority is to get back to winning ways, and while today's events do not address every issue, I would appeal for unity within the stadium to create the best possible environment for the manager and team to launch the fight-back." Head of football operations Paul Tidsdale has also left his position in the wake of Saturday's 3-1 home defeat by Rangers.

In a statement, the club said: "Celtic Football Club today announces that it has decided to terminate the contract of manager Wilfried Nancy, with immediate effect. "The club thanks Wilfried for his efforts and wishes him and his family well for the future.

"Wilfried's assistants, Kwame Ampadu, Jules Gueguen, and Maxime Chalier, will also be leaving the club, and they take with them our good wishes." Read more: Amorim sacked as Manchester United head coach The statement continued: "The club can also confirm that Paul Tisdale has left his position as Head of Football Operations. "We thank Paul for the contribution he has made in that role.

"A further update will be provided to supporters as soon as is practical." Nancy replaced permanent manager Brendan Rodgers, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal at the beginning of December after moving from Major League Soccer side Columbus Crew. Read more from Sky News:New weather warning issued for UKStarmer sides with Danish PM after Trump's Greenland 'threats' Nancy had insisted after the game he was "very close" to turning things around - and still believed Celtic were title contenders.

"It's the results. Results.

So this is the reality for the moment," he said. "But when I say this is the reality, it doesn't mean that I am a defeatist guy.

No. What I mean is we are really close, really, really close, to turn things around." Nancy added: "And again, I know that we lost, but I have also to be objective.

"The level that we had at certain moments was really, really, really high. This is the reality." Celtic are currently second in the Scottish Premiership table, six points behind leaders Hearts..