Martin O’Neill praised Celtic’s extensions for James Forrest, Liam Scales and Luke McCowan, arguing any incoming boss would want players already proving themselves.
Celtic moved to secure three key figures with fresh contract extensions this week, and interim boss Martin O’Neill says the message for any future manager is simple: the right players are already on board.
The timeline came together across two days, starting with winger James Forrest signing a new deal on Thursday, keeping him at Parkhead until the end of next season.. On Friday, Celtic confirmed Irish defender Liam Scales has agreed to remain at the club until the summer of 2030, with an option to extend for a further year.. Then, ahead of the Premiership match at Parkhead against Falkirk on Saturday, news broke that midfielder Luke McCowan has signed through to 2028, again with the club holding an extension option.
O’Neill, in his second interim spell this season after the departures of Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy, is now balancing on-field targets with the extra uncertainty that comes with not being a permanent appointment.. Celtic are chasing a league and Scottish Gas Scottish Cup double, but there is still a question mark over what happens after this summer—both in terms of O’Neill’s own role and who might follow him.
O’Neill frames Celtic’s extensions as “proactive” management
Rather than treating the contract renewals as something tied to his own future, O’Neill presented them as part of Celtic’s wider planning. He suggested that any manager arriving after the current season would view the business done this week as reassuring.
Asked whether it would be better to let a new manager take a close look at the squad before offering new contracts, O’Neill pushed back.. He argued that a new boss would still want those players, would assess whether they are physically capable of the job, and would judge whether they are good enough to improve the group.. For him, the key point is that the contracts do not appear to be based on reputation alone—they are rooted in what the players have shown while Celtic management has been in flux.
Why the Scales, Forrest and McCowan deals matter now
In O’Neill’s view, Celtic did not have the luxury of waiting, particularly with Liam Scales.. He pointed out that Scales’ deal was running down and that, at his age, the club would understandably want to act before the situation became harder to manage.. The message was not about whether O’Neill was the deciding factor, but about the club recognising value and momentum in the squad.
He also described Scales as someone he has seen prove himself during his time in charge, saying the defender has been outstanding across O’Neill’s two spells.. That assessment, coming alongside the contractual commitment to keep Scales until 2030, suggests Celtic want to build continuity around defenders who can be trusted through different coaching phases.
“No-brainer” continuity for any incoming manager
For the rest of the group, O’Neill’s tone stayed consistent: Forrest’s renewal speaks for itself, and McCowan’s agreement is both a reward and an opportunity.. He said Forrest has worked under several managers already, implying that adaptability is part of what makes the winger valuable.. He called him a “really great player” and suggested that whoever takes over eventually would benefit from having someone with that track record already in the dressing room.
On McCowan, O’Neill pointed to performance rather than potential hype, saying the midfielder has been excellent for Celtic.. He added that McCowan would like to play more games, which reads like a straightforward football assessment—one that also explains why Celtic may have moved quickly to tie him down.. Contract extensions can be about control, but they also signal trust, and in a season where managerial certainty has been disrupted, that trust can help keep a squad stable.
What Celtic gain—and what fans should watch next
These renewals land at an important psychological moment.. When clubs rotate coaches or interim setups, the easiest thing to lose is not only form, but also confidence—confidence that effort will be rewarded and that the club sees a future for certain players.. By securing Forrest, Scales and McCowan, Celtic are effectively removing three potential sources of distraction: a transfer drift, a contract negotiation cloud, and the internal feeling that key people might be leaving.
For supporters, the practical impact is also clear.. A double-chase demands rhythm, and rhythm thrives when key roles aren’t constantly changing.. The contracts may not solve every tactical question, but they do reduce the churn around core positions, especially with Scales at the centre of O’Neill’s reasoning.. Looking ahead, the bigger storyline will still be what happens after summer — but until then, Celtic can focus on selection and performance with at least three familiar faces locked in.
In O’Neill’s framing, the club’s business is not a gamble against what comes next. It’s a statement that, even in uncertainty, Celtic believes in the players it has—and believes the next manager would want them too.