Martin O’Neill looks set to get the backroom stability he wanted, with Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham moving closer to staying at Celtic.
The pair have been in talks with the club over fresh deals after playing an important part in last season’s turnaround. O’Neill was confirmed as manager earlier this month, but the make-up of his coaching staff has remained one of the key issues to sort before pre-season.
According to World Football Index, Maloney and Fotheringham have now agreed terms on contracts for the coming season, with only final details still to be completed.
That would be a major step forward for Celtic. O’Neill wanted both men beside him again after the run that took the Hoops from a difficult position to a league title and Scottish Cup double.
The manager brought the authority and belief Celtic badly needed, but Maloney and Fotheringham were clearly trusted voices around him. Keeping that group together gives the club a bit of continuity at a time when so much else around the squad still needs work.
Fotheringham previously spoke to World Football Index about how quickly his return came together, saying: “I received a call around 11.30 at night from Shaun. You could hear the adrenaline in his voice. He simply said, ‘Foz, can you be at Lennoxtown at the drop of a hat?’
“For me, it was an easy decision. I told him I would be there the next morning. I did not ask any questions because I knew he had a lot going on.
“It has been a special feeling because Celtic means everything to us.”
For O’Neill, this matters. Celtic need signings, but they also need the training ground settled quickly. With Champions League qualifiers ahead, there is no room for another slow start or uncertainty over who is driving the day-to-day work.
If Maloney and Fotheringham are confirmed, it gives Celtic one less problem to solve. The focus can then move properly to recruitment, where the manager still needs serious backing before the new season begins.
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