Martin O’Neill believes the pressure of the title race is driving Celtic forward rather than weighing the squad down ahead of Sunday’s derby against Rangers.

Celtic head into the final three league games still chasing Hearts at the top of the Premiership table. That alone makes this run-in different from what most of this squad have experienced in recent seasons.

Usually, Celtic have pulled away by this stage of the campaign. There has been pressure attached to individual matches before, but not many title races where the team spent weeks chasing instead of protecting a lead. Hearts staying strong through the split has changed the feeling around every fixture.

That pressure has shown at times.

Celtic looked nervous during parts of the winter period, especially after defeats against Dundee United and Rangers. The football became slower and players started forcing passes in moments where confidence had clearly dipped. Martin O’Neill himself admitted this week that the club did not feel fully united when he first returned.

The recent run has looked different. Celtic have fought through difficult games against Falkirk and Hibernian while also coming through the Scottish Cup semi-final against St Mirren after extra time. The performances have not always been brilliant, but the squad has started handling difficult moments better.

O’Neill spoke about that mentality shift ahead of Sunday’s match at Celtic Park.

He said: (Celtic FC YouTube), “I’m sure of it (pressure is motivating the squad).

“It’s not a position that the football club has found itself in in recent years. Generally speaking, they’ve gone clear and there’s been no opposition.

“There’s been plenty of opposition this year, not just from Rangers but obviously from Hearts.

“So it is a big, big change, not something that a number of these players have been used to. You have to get used to it. You’ve been chasing, you have to keep chasing.“

That final line probably captures where Celtic are mentally heading into the derby.

There is no room now for looking too far ahead. Hearts remain in front and Celtic still have to face them on the final day at Parkhead. Rangers also arrive desperate to stop their own season drifting away after consecutive defeats.

O’Neill’s side still have weaknesses. Viljami Sinisalo continues under pressure in goal and injuries have forced changes throughout the campaign. But the team has at least rediscovered some resilience during this run-in.

Sunday becomes another test of that.

A derby in the middle of a title chase feels very different when Celtic are the side hunting rather than protecting the lead.