I'll miss the game till my final breath but that's a totally different thing to managing daily...

You only have to see me after Gers game to realise what sort of mess you can get yourself into says O'Neill

- BY FRASER MACKIE

MARTIN O'NEILL admits he'll instantly go back to missing football terribly if his second Celtic stint ends next week.

But that doesn’t mean his sudden dugout comeback has relit the fire in the 73-year-old to crave the manager's daily grind.

O'Neill is focusing on game four of his whirlwind interim Parkhead stint - the visit from out-of-form Kilmarnock.

And he always suspected the onset of the international break might turn out the caretaker's natural cutoff point.

If that turns out to be the case and Celtic are on the brink of naming the long-term successor to Brendan Rodgers, O'Neill will reflect on a ‘surreal’ fortnight.

And he spoke like a man wholl have time to do that reflecting on those fond memories of four matches in 12 days, rather than be open to seeking a permanent return elsewhere.

ONeill said: “There is a difference between actually missing the game and seriously thinking about management.

“I've always missed the game and I will miss it forever.

“Up until my final breath, I will miss the game and just being involved.

“But that is a totally different thing to actually going back to manage on a day-to-day basis.

“That involves getting things together and every single minute youre consumed by it, which is what I was at the time.

“Those are the thoughts that go through your head. Whether you would have the energy to do that, I don't know.

“Because it can take something out of you. You only have to see me after the Rangers game to realise what sort of mess you can get yourself into”

O'Neill's surprise arrival provided the spark for a crucial 4-0 win over Falkirk in the wake of back-to-back defeats.

Then he rolled back the years by edging the Old Firm semifinal against 10-man Rangers at Hampden.

A mini meltdown away to Midtjylland before halftime ruined his return to the European stage in midweek.