Martin O’Neill Hails Celtic Star Who ‘Could Have Capitulated’ at Ibrox

Martin O’Neill was quick to defend Dane Murray after centre-back’s costly mistake in the first half at Ibrox. Murray’s failed clearance allowed Youseff Chermiti to pounce for Rangers’ second goal, leaving Celtic with a mountain to climb before the break.

It was a harsh lesson in a high-speed derby. Murray hesitated for a split second, the ball bounced awkwardly, and Chermiti did the rest. At 2-0, with the crowd roaring, it could easily have unravelled further for the defender.

Instead, he reset. As Celtic grew into the second half, Murray did too. Rangers looked to test him again with direct balls and crosses, but he began to meet them head on. He attacked headers with more conviction and kept his positioning tighter as the back line pushed higher.

O’Neill made a point of highlighting that reaction rather than dwelling on the error.

He said: (TCW), “He fought back, yes.

“He won a lot of headers, a lot of big headers for us. He’s only a young kid, really, at the end. He’s lost two years in the game because of serious injuries and stuff like that.

“So after that there, he could have capitulated. But he didn’t do, and he showed a lot of character.”

For a player who has already seen two seasons disrupted by injury, that resilience stands out. Murray has not had a smooth path into the first team. Games like this test whether a young defender trusts himself after a setback.

Celtic needed him to stay in the fight. As they pushed Rangers back in the second half, space opened behind the full-backs. Murray had to judge when to step in and when to drop off. He handled it better as the match wore on.

The equaliser will dominate the headlines. But the recovery began earlier, with players refusing to hide. Murray’s response after his mistake was part of that shift.