Martin O'Neill has challenged his Celtic players to prove they have the grit, determination and work rate to go along with their footballing talent.
Despite a 100 per cent start to the league season, the champions have it all to prove after a convincing 3-0 win for Rangers in the first derby of the season - in the Premier Sports Cup.
Derek McInnes' side were dominant and outfought their rivals in front of an Ibrox packed only with home fans.
Celtic rolled over and O'Neill has told his players they beat themselves as much as the home side did. He has also asked them to now show they have the character of Celtic sides in the past to bounce back and make it a one off, especially with Rangers now coming to them in the league on Sunday and the challenge of Ferencvaros in the Europa League before that.
The manager told the Celtic Player : “I said to the players, I’m not so sure whether Rangers beat us or we beat ourselves in that sense.
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“You’ve got to put the work in, you’ve got to do it and you’ve got to do it every single week.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a home game against somebody who’s at the bottom of the league or away at Ibrox. You’ve just really got to put the work in. “That has defined Celtic teams in the past, putting this work in. That’s what we did at the back end of last season.
“Hopefully, this will be the last time I mention it. We showed heart, grit and determination to fight back having been beaten by Dundee Utd to win the next seven games, including winning against Rangers and Hearts.
“Some of those matches I think we won through sheer desire. So you’ve got to have that.
🗣️ “It won’t be easy. Nothing is, nor should it be. It’s a European game, so hopefully we can be up for it and ready.” Martin O’Neill looks ahead to Thursday’s #UEL clash with Ferencváros. Watch the full interview now on #CelticPlayer 📺#CelticFerencváros | @CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/rkcvZjWkCT
— CelticPlayer (@Celtic_Player) September 15, 2026
“There’s point in having all the talent in the world if you don’t apply the determination and the will to win. Sometimes that defines players.
“I’ve said this to the players in the dressing room and it doesn’t hold all the time, but sometimes you can make assumptions on players’ character about what they do on the pitch.
“You’ll give me loads of examples where that’s not true, but I think you can learn a lot from players’ character by what they do on the pitch.
“We’ve had a setback on Sunday. You have to look at it and you have to hurt a bit – you have to hurt a lot, I think.
“That’s the way I spent my career. I probably overindulged in the hurting aspect but the game shave to hurt you as a player and a manager.
“After that, you go and rise above it again. That defines you as much as anything else.”
