Celtic clinched the Scottish Premiership in breathtaking fashion on the final day of the season, overcoming Hearts with a nervy victory to secure a 14th title in 15 years and their fifth consecutive crown. The 2-1 win at Celtic Park capped a remarkable turnaround masterminded by club legend Martin O’Neill, who returned for a second stint in March to rescue a campaign that had spiraled into dysfunction.
The season had begun with Brendan Rodgers at the helm, but the Northern Irishman’s tenure unraveled amid catastrophic recruitment and infighting. Celtic sold Nicolas Kuhn and Adam Idah in the summer, following Kyogo’s departure earlier in 2025, stripping the squad of 73 goals from the previous year. Greg Taylor also left on a free transfer, while the club missed out on primary striker target Kasper Dolberg on a chaotic deadline day, adding to fan unrest.
Rodgers’ frustration boiled over after a 2-0 defeat to Dundee, when he infamously compared the squad to a Honda Civic being expected to drive like a Ferrari. That press conference deepened the crisis, and barely six months after promising he was “200 per cent” staying, Rodgers resigned on a Monday night in October, leaving Celtic in disarray and six points adrift of a Hearts side that had led the table for 250 days.
The board turned to former boss Martin O’Neill, the 74-year-old who had led the Hoops to a treble in his first spell two decades earlier. Initially appointed as interim, O’Neill steadied the ship but then surprisingly stepped aside in February, only to return permanently in March when the club’s title hopes were on life support. His mere presence seemed to restore belief, but the repair job required more than nostalgia—it demanded shrewd late-season management.
O’Neill leaned heavily on January free-agent signing Kelechi Iheanacho, who despite fitness struggles delivered four late match-winners among his five league strikes, proving decisive in narrow victories. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, another emergency addition, also chipped in with vital goals against Livingston and St Mirren after joining post-window. Yet the squad was threadbare: defender Julian Araujo, a rare successful loan signing, saw his season ended by injury in the run-in.
The recruitment failures defined Celtic’s campaign. Beyond the high-profile exits, signings like Kieran Tierney—a popular return—and project players Benjamin Nygren and Sebastian Tounekti failed to adequately replace the lost firepower. The club’s transfer strategy, criticized as reactive and uninspired, left the team with minimal depth and forced O’Neill to improvise.
Hearts, meanwhile, had been the story of the season, leading the table for 250 days compared to Celtic’s mere 34. A refreshing challenger to the Old Firm’s 40-year duopoly, they entered the final day two points clear and on the verge of a historic title. But Celtic’s experience and Iheanacho’s late heroics shattered their dream, extending the Glasgow club’s dominance in a league they have now won in all but one of the last 15 campaigns.
For O’Neill, the triumph adds another layer to his legacy, proving his ability to navigate the modern game despite his age. It also masks deep structural concerns at Celtic Park, where fan discontent over recruitment and boardroom decision-making remains acute. The title, while celebrated, feels like a temporary reprieve.
The implications ripple across Scottish football. Hearts’ near-miss suggests the gap is closing, but Celtic’s financial power and knack for last-gasp solutions underline their resilience. Whether O’Neill stays on or the club embarks on a summer rebuild, this season will be remembered as a chaotic classic that almost slipped away.
Based on reporting from Sky Sports.