Former Premier League and Champions League manager, 72, handed shock new job after five years out of work
MARTIN O’NEILL has landed himself a major new role after five years out of football.
The 72-year-old won the European Cup and the title as player under Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest before enjoying more success as a manager.
Now the Irishman will be the man BEHIND the managers offering them his support.
The ex-Leicester City, Aston Villa, Celtic and Ireland boss has been named as the new chairman of the League Managers Association.
He will replace Howard Wilkinson, who has overseen the bosses’ group for over three decades, when the 80-year-old steps down this summer.
That was after he was voted in by his fellow managers after being put forward for the role.
O’Neill said: “I am extremely proud to be voted the new LMA Chair by my fellow managers.
“I am succeeding Howard Wilkinson who has, for over 30 years, overseen the growth of the LMA and served its members with great distinction, dedication and passion.
“The support I have received from the LMA throughout my time as a manager has been hugely important to me and I am delighted to have the opportunity to give something back to the association.
“I very much look forward to working alongside [chief executive] Richard Bevan and the team.
BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKER
“I would like to build on the work Howard has done so diligently and hopefully continue to support the current and next generation of LMA members.”
O’Neill, who is a regular pundit these days on talkSPORT, was last in the dug-out five years ago with a short stint at old club Forest.
The LMA is a trade union that represents its members, who range from Premier League bosses to the EFL and the Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship.
Having started out in the dug-out in non-league, O’Neill led Wycombe Wanderers from the conference into the third tier.
He took over at Leicester in 1995 and guided them to League Cup success twice during his five years there.
He left to join Celtic in 2000, winning the title three times and leading the Hoops to the Uefa Cup Final.
MARTIN O'NEILL'S HONOURS
Check out everything the Irishman has won during his career as both a player and manager:
PLAYING CAREER
DISTILLERY
Irish Cup (1971)
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
First Division (1978); European Cup (1979, 1980); European Super Cup (1979); League Cup (1978, 1979); FA Charity Shield (1978); Anglo-Scottish Cup (1977)
NORTHERN IRELAND
British Home Championship (1980, 1984)
MANAGEMENT CAREER
WYCOMBE WANDERERS
Conference champions (1993); FA Trophy (1991, 1993), Conference League Cup (1992); Third Division play-off winners (1994)
LEICESTER CITY
League Cup (1997, 2000); First Division play-off winners (1996)
CELTIC
Scottish Premiership (2001, 2002, 2004); Scottish Cup (2001, 2004, 2005); Scottish League Cup (2001)
O’Neill returned to the Premier League for a four-year stint at Aston Villa and then two years at Sunderland before taking charge of his country.
He led them to the knockouts of Euro 2016 but his five-year reign ended after a poor run of results in November 2018.
O’Neill did return to the dug-out in January 2019 when he was appointed boss of Forest.
He guided them to a ninth-place finish in the Championship but was sacked that summer.