Celtic are stuck in one of their biggest ruts in the last decade.

11 points behind their arch-rivals Rangers domestically and now out of the Europa League, it has been a season to forget for Neil Lennon and co.

Unsurprisingly, his job is now under threat.

Club chiefs, including Peter Lawwell, reportedly came out and backed Lennon after their draw with Hibernian last weekend but there can be few defences for the manager after his side conceded yet another four goals to Sparta Prague.

A number of new head coaches have been mentioned in the same breath as Celtic this week, from Eddie Howe and Paulo Di Canio to former Hoops boss Martin O’Neill.

Now, if you were a Celtic supporter there would surely only be one candidate – O’Neill.

The Irishman took charge of nearly 300 Celtic games between 2000 and 2005 as he led them to three league titles and three Scottish Cups. Furthermore, O’Neill also took the Bhoys to a European final.

He helped changed the mentality and culture of the club, something that clearly needs to happen now.

Speaking earlier this year, Chris Sutton said: “Celtic are in this position now because of what Martin O'Neill did in his early years. He understood the values and people at Celtic and got everybody on side. To turn around a 21-point gap in so short a time then, to give the supporters and players belief, it was such an incredible feat. What he did was nothing short of exceptional.”

That is a glistening review from Sutton, someone whose praise is usually reserved only for the very best.

However, it’s that 21-point gap that we want to talk about. When O’Neill walked into the club for the first time, Rangers had just won the treble and were the dominant force in Scottish football.

Incredibly, after just a year at the helm, O’Neill had guided Celtic to their own treble.

Of course, the Hoops aren’t quite as many points behind in the present day, but if anyone can turn the Glaswegians around in a short period of time it’s their former manager. The remarkable gap that was bridged in 2001 is all the evidence you need.

He was a wonderful guidance councillor for his players at the time and knows what it takes to meet the standards and requirements set out by fans.

“For me, he is a very special person, not just as a manager but as a human being as well,” remarked Stiliyan Petrov in August 2020.

Boasting a 75% win success from his prior spell at Parkhead, he could once again be the man to put a stop to Rangers.

To put it simply, O’Neill is a legend at Celtic. Bringing him back is a no-brainer.

In other news, Celtic's stalwart is letting Neil Lennon down BIG time...