Celtic

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Former Scotland pundit James McFadden: "Celtic came in as heavy favourites, and it's job done.

"And what a job done Martin O'Neill has done. From where they've been throughout this season, for him to guide them to a double is quite incredible.

"Who knows? Will it be the last time we see him?

"He's shown he's more than capable. It's re-energised him, and given him the best feeling he's had as a manager."

Ex-Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner: "Did anyone ever believe this season that Celtic could win a double? It's quite incredible.

"For Martin O'Neill to come back in two spells and to turn this around is remarkable story. It'll be in the history books, written about.

"It depends what the future holds for the club and for him."

Former Dunfermline boss Ian McCall: "I don't want to be ageist, I'm no spring chicken myself. But saying the season doesn't start tomorrow...the planning should have started weeks ago.

"The job won't stop, it will be all-consuming. I don't expect to see Engels or Maeda playing for Celtic next season. There's a huge rebuild needing done.

"I don't think he'll be the Celtic manager next year. Whether he wants to stay around and have an influence, I don't know.

"But he's enhanced his status at the football club."

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Arne Engels

"I'm really happy that I could help the team with a goal today.

"Everybody was doubting us but we as a team always believed in ourselves.

"We can finally celebrate and with it's a double it's not too bad."

Kelechi Iheanacho

"It feels really good to win my first Scottish cup.

"It was tough to get here but we won the trophy.

"It's been a crazy season. It's one we can remember for all our lives but we got there in the end so we're happy."

When asked whether he will still be at Celtic next season, Iheanacho adds: "I don't know, we will wait and see."

Callum McGregor

"They're all special.

"Probably off the back of a difficult season, everything the team has had to go through it makes it all the sweeter.

"Second half wasn't great but we did a lot of the work in the first half.

"December time nobody would have given you a hope. It just shows you the mentality and the character of the team. It's a tough season but so rewarding.

"Martin O'Neill has been fantastic since he came back in. He's been backed up by amazing staff members. I'm sure he will be involved in some capacity. The team have been fantastic, he drove them on and he can enjoy his summer as well."

Viljami Sinisalo

"As a group of players and staff, and fans, we've had a tough year.

"To top off the season with a double is special. It's a special group with a special mentality and I'm so proud to be a part of it.

"I want to play here and long may that continue. Who wouldn't want to play here? It's amazing. It's a special place to work and play football.

"It's going to be an interesting summer but I'm already excited to get back in the first day of pre-season."

On Martin O'Neill's future at Celtic, Sinisalo added: "He's not bad is he?

"What he's done to the whole group in terms of instilling that confidence and belief is a job like no other. We all love him. We've been really glad to have him. Let's see what happens, I can't say much more than that."

Alistair Johnston

"Martin O'Neill easily could've stayed home but he wanted to come back and help the club out.

"We're so thankful he did because he made a world of difference when he came back.

"I think that is completely up to him [if he wants to stay at the club]. Everyone here knows how much we appreciate him. He has earned the right to go home and take a couple of weeks to think about it.

"He's got the energy for it, I can see him coming back for sure.

"It's been a tough season, the injuries, a lot of things that have gone on behind the scenes here. The chance to be back for the last month, it gave me something to push for. I'm just glad to have played a small part in this. They fought tooth and nail on numerous occasions.

"This club is full of winners and we know how to get it over the line when we need to."

Celtic finish a haphazard season as double winners under interim manager Martin O'Neill after cruising past Dunfermline Athletic in a one-sided Scottish Cup final after dramatically winning the Premiership last weekend.

Read the full match report via this link

Have your say on the game here

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Celtic manager Martin O'Neill: "It's definitely not my final, it's Celtic football club's final.

"I have had a bit part to play in proceedings. The game has changed a wee bit since I first managed and some of the things we coach so I've had to learn. I've been doing a lot of learning in the last three or four months.

"You're on the periphery then suddenly you're thrown into the middle of it and you get a perverse enjoyment from it when you win things.

"When we lost at Dundee United it felt winning things was far away. If Junior [Adamu] hadn't scored a goal in the last seconds against Dundee we wouldn't be here. So I'm delighted to be here and delighted to win.

"We had a lot of possession in the first half but I knew the adversity would never leave him alone. When I had Lennon as a player, he was one of the great players and he's proved himself as a great, great manager."

"If ever there was a chance of getting back it would have ben about seven or eight years after I first left. That never happened, and rightly so because they kept winning."

On whether he could still be manager next season, O'Neill adds: "There were no discussions about that at all.

"Next week I might get to speak to the owner. If you're asking me if i could step in after a thre-day holiday, I wouldn't have that about me.

"Dermot Desmond brought me back in the first place, I owe him a great deal otherwise I wouldn't be here."

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Celtic manager Martin O'Neill says Japan forward Daizen Maeda, 28, is likely to play his last game for the club in Saturday's Scottish Cup final against Dunfermline Athletic. (Sun), external

O'Neill believes Maeda has earned a chance to play in England's Premier League. (Scotsman - subscription required), external

Goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo says Celtic are "all so thankful" for manager O'Neill's impact at the club this season. (Record - subscription required), external

Hungarian reports suggest Ferencvaros manager Robbie Keane, who has been linked with former club Celtic, has resigned from his post. (Irish Times - subscription required), external

Dunfermline Athletic manager Neil Lennon says Saturday's Scottish Cup final opponents Celtic "are a very good team, but they're not a super team". (Record - subscription required), external

Saturday's Scottish gossip

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

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Without Benjamin Nygren's continual supply of goals, this season would look very different for Celtic.

Their strikers have struggled to deliver on a consistent basis, but midfielder Nygren has stepped up to shoulder the burden by netting 21 times to top the club's scoring charts.

He isn't done yet. Dunfermline await at Hampden on Saturday as Nygren bids to complete his debut season in Scotland with a league and Scottish Cup double before heading to the World Cup with Sweden.

And while he is set for a key role in Martin O'Neill's side this weekend, the 24-year-old remains baffled by his omission from December's League Cup final defeat to St Mirren under Wilfried Nancy.

"That's not a question I can answer, unfortunately," he tells BBC Scotland of Nancy's decision not to start him.

"That's a question for the manager I had at that time.

"I want to play in every big game and every final to help the team win every game I can. Not being able to do that is very disappointing."

Of the 21 times he has netted for Celtic, Nygren counts a stunning goal that was ultimately overshadowed by a certain penalty decision as one of his favourites.

"I really like my last goal, against Motherwell away," he adds, recalling his strike which put Celtic 2-1 up at Fir Park last week.

"It was a very important game and if we didn't win, it would have been a lot more difficult to win the league title."

Along with Nygren's goals, leadership has been a huge factor throughout this Celtic campaign. Sometimes the lack of it.

Brendan Rodgers departed, Nancy came and went. Martin O'Neill's return to the helm has helped conjure a Celtic fairytale ending to a season that at one point looked lost.

"He's even funnier than I first expected," Nygren says of the 74-year-old.

"He knows what it's about - it's about winning."

It is a trait Nygren feels is shared by skipper Callum McGregor throughout what has been a turbulent campaign.

"He's the best captain I have had so far," he added. "And I take so much inspiration and learn so much from him that I will take on with me for the rest of my career.

"He's a great leader. He's an even greater person. The first day I came in at Lennoxtown he spoke to me immediately, texted me immediately.

"He's a great leader and also a great player. The winning mentality he has is unbelievable."

Scott Brown reunites with former Celtic boss Neil Lennon as the Dunfermline manager prepares to face his old club in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday.

Watch the full interview on BBC One Scotland's coverage from 14:15 BST on Saturday.

Celtic fans, we asked for your views as to whether Martin O'Neill should remain as manager for next season.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Kenny: Martin should at least be offered the job before anyone else after what he has achieved in the short time he's been there. Celtic need a rebuild and it would be silly throwing money at someone else and ending up where we were at the start of the season. Put trust in Martin and give him a two-year deal.

Thom: Absolutely keep him. Start preparing for a replacement now though with the proviso of MON moving upstairs in an advisory capacity when a new replacement is identified. Massive changes needed throughout the club. Let's be proactive.

Robert: Absolutely, he's earned the right to stay on. He's also earned the right to walk away and hand over the reins to someone else if he chooses to but the Celtic board have to sit down and see where his head is at.

Cammy: He absolutely deserves to be kept on, whether I want him to be kept on is a different matter. The style wasn't great, the results were ground out. In Europe though we did better than expected with what he had. If the recruitment this summer is improved dramatically then his presence, along with the coaching team, will do well. I'd like to see a set-piece coach added, we've been rotten in that department for too long.

David: If the Celtic board haven't already identified their man, and had him already evaluating the current squad, then heads should roll (I suspect they won't). My choice for manager is Kjetil Knutsen. Tell him he's got £100m to spend on a three year deal/project. That might tempt him.

Jack: Martin has only increased his status as a club legend, build the statue, but a club the size of Celtic needs to think more long-term with such a significant squad rebuild required. The three teams competing for the title this year are all going to fancy their chances over the next few seasons, so the upcoming summer is vital. We need to bring in someone who has a multi-year vision and plays an attractive style of football.

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Will "electric" Daizen Maeda be the difference-maker again for Celtic as they bid to complete the double?

The Japan international has scored eight goals in his past six games and is eyeing Scottish Cup glory over Dunfermline after inspiring his side to the title.

"I think he's proven to be the not just a matchwinner for them this season, but probably the title winner for them as well," former Celtic striker Cillian Sheridan told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"He was stepping up at crucial times, getting big goals.

"You could clearly see he did go off the boil a bit. I don't know if it's Martin O'Neill has got something out of him and got a spark back at his game. He's been crucial the last maybe five or six weeks.

"If the season was 90 minutes, he's come alive at around the 70/75 minute mark.

"If you're Neil Lennon, you want him to have one of his off days. He's a strange player where his off days are really off, but when it clicks for him, he's electric."

Despite a turbulent campaign, Celtic are within touching distance of a domestic double under Martin O'Neill.

"They have shown an incredible way of winning games, not just this season, but for decades now," former Premiership striker Rory Loy said.

"I think from now on you write them off at your peril, regardless of their form, regardless of their league position.

"As long as they're still in touch, they are mentality monsters."

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

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• Celtic are aiming to win a league and Scottish Cup double for the 14th time.

• Dunfermline are aiming to become the fourth lower-league side to win the Scottish Cup after Hibernian (2016), East Fife (1938) and Queen's Park (1893).

• This is the fifth time the sides have met in the Scottish Cup final and the third time this century - all won by Celtic.

• Dunfermline's last Scottish Cup win over Celtic was in the first round in 1968.

• This is their first meeting since a League Cup second-round match in August 2019 when Lennon was Celtic manager.

• Dunfermline's last win over Celtic at Hampden was their Scottish Cup final win in 1961 under Stein.

• Dunfermline have only won four of the past 61 meetings between the clubs - all those Pars victories came at Celtic Park.

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Viljami Sinisalo has revelled in being Celtic number one and won't give up the gloves without a fight as a summer of change looms at Parkhead.

The Finland international replaced the injured Kasper Schmeichel as first-choice goalkeeper in February and helped Martin O'Neill's side secure the Premiership title to leave long-time leaders Hearts crestfallen.

As he looks to end the campaign with another trophy in Saturday's Scottish Cup final against Dunfermline, 24-year-old Sinisalo reflected his personal progress.

"I've always said it, I want to play for this football club as a number one," he said.

"And to have that chance I've got to be really grateful to the manager for putting me in at Stuttgart and that's when it kind of started and then obviously the Rangers game after that.

"I'm still a young goalkeeper trying to get better every day, that's very much the mentality and that'll never change.

"If you get a little taste of being a number one you just want to keep doing that and you want more and more and more.

"It's the same as winning trophies - it's you win one, you want to win the next one, you want to win the third one after that. You never get bored of it.

"There's always a lot of pressure as a Celtic player but even more as a goalie because eyes are on you and every little mistake is obviously vital.

"I've chosen my position so I very much understand that and I accept that. I'm still growing, I'm trying to get better every day. I'm never going to come here and say I'm the finished article. I want to get better every day as I get more games under my belt."

Completing the Premiership and Scottish Cup double would be a "sweet feeling" for Sinisalo, who hailed the leadership of senior players in Celtic's late-season title charge.

"We as a group were really lucky to have a lot of winners in the changing room, people that are leaders. You've got Calum McGregor, James Forrest, people that have been there a while," the Finn said.

"There's so many I could rhyme off so we've got a good group of core lads in the changing room who've won a lot here and know what it takes to win. That's definitely helped us get over the line over the last couple of weeks.

"A lot of things have happened this season and people have gone through a lot - not just the players and staff. The people following us around the country and around Europe have gone through a lot a lot of emotions watching us, so if we could end the season with a cup win it would be special."

Fourth round: Auchinleck Talbot 0-2 Celtic (18 Jan)

Last year's runners-up Celtic made hard work of avoiding a historic Scottish Cup upset, with a late Sebastian Tounekti strike finally putting the tie beyond sixth-tier Auchlinleck.

Johnny Kenny gave Martin O'Neill's men the lead after half an hour but they were far from convincing in booking a last-16 spot.

Fifth round: Celtic 2-1 Dundee (7 Feb)

Celtic looked to be heading for the exit following Ethan Hamilton's outstanding strike early in the second half.

But debutant Junior Adamu forced extra time with a backheel finish from fellow substitute Tounekti's low cross in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Tounekti completed the comeback to set up a derby trip to Ibrox.

Quarter-finals: Rangers 0-0 Celtic (aet, Celtic win 4-2 pens) (8 March)

In a combustible tie marred by pitch invasions from both sets of fans, Celtic showed grit to prevail on penalties after mustering just one shot in 120 minutes compared to 24 for Rangers.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Auston Trusty and Reo Hatate all scored in the shootout as James Tavernier and Djeidi Gassama missed for Rangers.

That gave Tomas Cvancara the chance to send Celtic through - and the Czech calmly sent Jack Butland the wrong way to book Celtic's Hampden semi-final against their League Cup conquerors St Mirren.

Semi-finals: Celtic 6-2 St Mirren (aet) (19 April)

Celtic were cruising with a 2-0 lead at half-time after Daizen Maeda struck in the opening minute and Anthony Ralston doubled the advantage.

But Mikael Mandron stunned Martin O'Neill's side with a second-half double to force extra time.

What followed was a sensational scoring blitz as Kelechi Iheanacho (2), Luke McCowan and Benjamin Nygren hit Saints for six to set up a Scottish Cup final with Dunfermline.

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill says allegations Hearts players were assaulted amid Saturday's pitch invasion "has not been proved".

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Martin O'Neill has kept the door open to extending his stay as Celtic boss and expects talks with Dermot Desmond after the Scottish Cup final.

The 74-year-old had been out of management since 2019 before riding to Celtic's rescue with two interim spells this season.

Having steered the club to a dramatic title success with seven straight wins to pip Hearts glory, O'Neill is now bidding to complete the double with victory over Neil Lennon's Dunfermline on Saturday.

He is in contention for the permanent job along with the likes of Robbbie Keane and Craig Bellamy, while Jens Berthel Askou - who had been linked with the Parkhead hotseat - has instead left Motherwell for Toulouse.

So, where should Celtic turn? After his triumphant return, has O'Neill done enough to be kept on? Or do Celtic need a clean break and should look elsewhere?

Let us know your thoughts.

Burnley have stepped up their interest in Wales head coach Craig Bellamy, who has been touted as Martin O'Neill's potential successor at Celtic. (The Herald - subscription required), external

According to sources in Uruguay, Celtic are in talks to sign 18-year-old midfielder Agustin Dos Santos, the son of former Mexico midfielder Jonathan. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.