After a chaotic, dramatic, last-minute win over St Mirren, Martin O’Neill cut a figure of sheer relief at full-time and he admitted that emotion was just as strong inside the dressing room.

Celtic left it until the 95th minute to find the breakthrough, Callum McGregor slamming home a winner, a brilliant strike from outside the box, that could prove huge in the title race.

It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t controlled, but it was vital. O’Neill knows that as well as anyone.

It was a much-needed win for the club, after all the noise coming from off the pitch matters. You could see by the full time scenes that the fans, the true Celtic supporters that the club are lucky to have, were right behind the players.

Speaking after the match, he shared exactly what he told his players behind closed doors at the SMiSA Stadium.

He told the BBC:

“How much have I enjoyed them? Yeah, well, you know, obviously tonight there’s relief as much as anything else, but you have to enjoy winning football matches.

“We said to the players in the dressing room, that’s what the game’s about. It is what it’s about. And don’t forget about that, you know.

“And sometimes, if you don’t play well and get a result like that, it’s a great old feeling. It keeps confidence alive, as well, as much as anything else, and it keeps a bit of momentum going.”

It’s been a whirlwind period for O’Neill, who still doesn’t know how long he’ll remain in charge, but even in the uncertainty he continues to hammer home the basics. Find a way to win, enjoy it when you do, and build on the momentum.

It sets up a great platform for a new manager to walk into. The mood around the playing team does seem to be a lot higher now than it was when Brendan Rodgers handed in his shock resignation.

The interim boss has now delivered three crucial league victories and a derby semi-final triumph and even on nights where performance dips, he’s reminding his players that results like these can define seasons.