Wally meets... former Celtic and Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill

By Mike Walters in Mirror Football Blog

Published 22:30 22/10/10

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Martin O'Neill is itching to climb back aboard the managerial merry-go-round.

From his old stamping grounds at Leicester and Nottingham Forest, to ­Liverpool and even Dynamo Kiev, O’Neill’s name has been linked with more clubs than he had in his bag around 18 holes at Royal County Down this week.

But until now, we have not heard from the man himself. Not a peep, not a dicky bird – until he emerged from the gorse, heather and heavy rough of a stunning Northern Ireland links to present a prize at a gala golf awards dinner in his bib and dicky-bow.

Between courses, O’Neill gave intrepid explorers of Royal County Down and Ireland’s leading boutique hoteliers for golfing breaks a snapshot of the future – and he won’t be staying in the bunker.

More than two months have passed since O’Neill walked out on Aston Villa five days before the new season, and English football is poorer without his dotty cabaret of touchline war dances and self-deprecating analysis.

But finally he has broken cover. Yes, he wants another job in football – preferably a big one. Perhaps even a career-defining post.

O’Neill led Wycombe Wanderers into the Football League, delivered silverware to unfashionable Leicester, restored Celtic to Old Firm supremacy and knocked on the door of the Champions League with Villa. With Fabio Capello on the way out after Euro 2012, at 58 maybe the England job is not beyond him yet.

“I was interviewed for the England job back before Steve McClaren got it,” said O’Neill, whose audience with the FA blazers was allegedly all-ticket for flies on the wall.

“Obviously Steve had been there as assistant to Sven at the time, but I’m not sure of the way the voting system went.

“A number of ­candidates were interviewed – Big Sam Allardyce brought every piece of machinery and all the stats with him, unfortunately I didn’t. I just brought myself, and we all know what happened.

“I must admit, the whole experience reminded me of an interview I got at Bradford City about 20 years ago, when I was trying to get my first job as a manager in England.

“There were seven of us interviewed, and of those seven I was the only one asked back... but only an Irishman can get down to the last one for a job and fail to get it.

“So exactly the same thing must have happened (with England). Maybe I didn’t get down to the last one.”

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and, dare we say it, there is an element of Brian Clough in O’Neill’s demeanour as a manager. After all, it was Clough who once claimed: “I wouldn’t say I’m the best man for the England job – but I’m in the top one.”

O’Neill admits his ­relationship with Ol’ Big ‘Ead was mildly tempestuous at times when Forest were winning the ­European Cup 30 years ago, but there was never any doubting the pair’s warmth in Cloughie’s sunset years.

“We had a difference of opinion about my ability on the pitch,” said O’Neill. “Basically, I thought I was brilliant and he thought I was crap.”

He confirmed his departure from Villa was the result of a falling-out with owner Randy Lerner: “I think we decided we weren’t going in the same direction, I’m not sure what direction that was. Probably the less said, the better.

“I’ve been enjoying myself and getting rather lazy these last two months. But I obviously miss the game and I’m sure I’ll get back into it at some stage if I can. I’d rather that happened sooner than later.”

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