O'NEILL HAS MADE ARNE GREAT AGAIN

Midfielder is relishing renaissance after earning new manager's trust

- BY RYAN McDONALD

MR MOTIVATOR Captain McGregor's ferocious strike early in extra-time gave Celtic the platform to put Gers to bed

AFTER months in disarray, Celtic are slowly but surely looking like their old selves again.

And there's no doubt Martin O'Neill has restored the feelgood factor.

How long the charismatic gaffer stays in the dugout remains to be seen. But if you asked most Celtic fans after Sunday's dramatic Premier Sports Cup semifinal triumph over Rangers at Hampden, they'd probably love O'Neill to see out the campaign - and possibly beyond.

The iconic Northern Irishman has lifted the mood of the club in the wake of Brendan Rodgers’ bombshell exit.

Dermot Desmond left jaws on the floor with his scathing character assassination of Rodgers last Monday.

But there’s no doubt the Irish tycoon pulled off a masterstroke by convincing 73-year-old O'Neill to return to the hotseat on an interim basis.

If theres one man who can galvanise a fractured club, it’s arguably the second most beloved manager in Celtic’s history behind Jock Stein.

And midfielder Arne Engels, who was born four months after O'Neill led Celtic to the 2003 UEFA Cup final in Seville, admits the returning messiah has lifted the gloom that's clouded Parkhead since the summer transfer window.