Martin O’Neill expecting tough challenge in his final European match in charge of Celtic

Martin O’Neill is well aware of the size of the challenge as he bids to mark his final European match with Celtic with victory.

The 73-year-old is set to make way for Wilfried Nancy in the coming week after Celtic made progress in their quest to take the French coach from Columbus Crew.

O’Neill and fellow interim manager Shaun Maloney first have the chance to claim an important result in their quest to qualify for the Europa League knockout phase, when Celtic take on Feyenoord in Rotterdam on Thursday.

O’Neill, whose only setback in five games in charge came against Midtjylland in this competition, confirmed a managerial announcement was imminent.

He added: “We’ve got to try and win the game, of course. It’s Feyenoord we’re playing, so it’ll be pretty difficult.

“If it’s going to be your last game, which it will be, then you’d like it to be at Celtic Park. But it’s away here and it’s nice to be involved in European football.

“I’ve just looked outside there as I’m coming in, seeing some of the great, great names of world football just attached to that wall. There’s something special about this place.

“But talking about how difficult the game was in Midtjylland, we’ve got work to do. And I think we know that, as a team and as a club.”

Defender Auston Trusty got an insight into Nancy’s methods during the international break but the United States international was keen to focus on the task in front of him as he praised O’Neill and his coaching team.

“It’s kind of a lane I stay out of, obviously,” he said. “Over the course of the international break, I had team-mates who played for him and the possibility was out that we could get him as a coach, so we did chat a little bit about it.

“At the time, I’m focused on the national team. They’re just conversations, but it has nothing really to do with me. I can’t control it, I can’t do anything about it. I show up and do my job.

“Martin and the team have come in and they’ve done a really good job. We’ve got around them and they’ve really helped us propel and get into a better state than we were at the time.”

Feyenoord have suffered three consecutive defeats, against Stuttgart in the Europa League, and Go Ahead Eagles and NEC Nijmegen in the league, which saw them fall six points adrift of leaders PSV Eindhoven.

But O’Neill said: “I’ve watched the game back at the weekend, they could have been 4-0 up in the first 20 minutes of the match before NEC scored.

“If we can be as mentally strong as we’ve been, certainly domestically, in the last few weeks, then that will help.”

O’Neill has Kelechi Iheanacho in his squad but is not sure what role the striker can play after his hamstring injury.

“It would be good to have that option,” he said. “That would be great. It’s something that we haven’t had, so that would be a major plus.

“But you’re looking for fit people. We’ll see what he’s like.”