O'Neill can inspire Celtic to success - Craigan

Celtic "stand a better chance" of retaining the Scottish Premiership with Martin O'Neill's appointment as manager until the end of the season, according to former Northern Ireland international Stephen Craigan.

O'Neill stepped in as interim boss of the Glasgow club following the departure of Brendan Rodgers in October, winning seven of his eight games in charge.

The 73-year-old made way for Wilfried Nancy, who was appointed permanent boss in early December, but the Frenchman's ill-fated reign lasted just 33 days, with six losses in eight games, including defeat to St Mirren in the League Cup final and a league defeat to Rangers at the weekend spelling the end.

O'Neill, who won seven trophies including three league titles during his first stint at Parkhead between 2000 and 2005, steps back in with Celtic six points behind leaders Hearts, but Craigan feels that if anyone can turn things around and unite the club after a turbulent period, it is the former Northern Ireland captain.

"Martin is a man who knows how to win games of football, he's an experienced head and has a lot of younger coaches about him who will do all the work, so he will have the words of wisdom," Craigan, who spent the majority of his playing career at Motherwell, told BBC Sport NI.

"He's very good with the press, but the biggest attribute he has is the ability to unite everyone at the club.

"The Celtic fans over the past three or four weeks have been singing against the board, but you can guarantee when they play Dundee United at Celtic Park on Saturday they will be singing Martin O'Neill's name as they adore him.

"If they are to win the league, Martin in charge gives them a great chance. Hearts are top of the table and Rangers are now three points ahead of Celtic, having been eight or nine points behind at one stage, so it sets it up perfectly."

'Celtic may have regrets with timing of Nancy arrival'

Some Celtic fans questioned the wisdom of bringing in Nancy at the start of a run of three huge games in the space of a week when they hosted Hearts in the league, welcomed Roma in the Europa League and then took on St Mirren in that League Cup decider.

All three resulted in defeats, immediately putting the new boss under pressure and while Craigan agrees the timing of that handover was not ideal, he accepts "hindsight is wonderful thing".

"The problem Martin gave the board is that he won games of football and that's what he's always done as a manager.

"That probably put them under a bit of pressure, but once they made their mind up that Nancy was coming in, Martin had to move on.

"It just seemed a strange time to do it as they had a top-of-the-table clash against Hearts coming up, a big game against Roma in Europe and a cup final against Stephen Robinson's St Mirren.

"The ideal time to bow out would have been after that cup final, but they made the decision and I'd imagine they have huge regrets."

'Evans should give it all he's got at Manchester United'

O'Neill is not the only former Northern Ireland international to return to a former club this week as it was announced that Jonny Evans will form part of interim Manchester United manager Darren Fletcher's backroom team, following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim on Monday.

Evans was appointed as the club's head of loans and pathways last summer, following his decision to end his playing career, but quit that post in December.

However, he returns to assist Fletcher and Craigan has urged his former international team-mate to "give it all you've got".

"After a couple of games you can think 'this isn't for me' or 'I love this', so Jonny will get two games and if they are successful in those two games, I wouldn't be surprised if it was extended," Craigan said of the planned interim spell which begins with a Premier League trip to Burnley on Wednesday.

"I'd say to him to throw himself into it and give it all you've got. At Manchester United he was a smashing player and is a respected figure, but that doesn't guarantee you're going to be a successful coach or manager, yet it gives you a head start.

"He has the stature, has the respect of the players, so now he has to go and put that all into practice."