Celtic's 3-1 Comeback Against Hearts Sparks Statue Calls For Martin O'Neill

Celtic secured a fifth consecutive Scottish Premiership crown with a 3-1 comeback victory over Hearts, a success Alistair Johnston describes as the greatest league win ever. Late strikes from Daizen Maeda and Callum Osmand at Celtic Park turned the title race decisively.

The result gave Celtic a 56th Scottish championship, moving one clear of Rangers’ 55 titles and reinforcing domestic dominance. The win also ended a season-long chase of Hearts, who had controlled the table for months, yet lost top spot when it mattered most.

This latest Celtic Scottish Premiership title also completed a personal revival for Martin O’Neill. The 74-year-old first stepped in as interim after Brendan Rodgers left, then returned again following Wilfried Nancy’s brief spell in charge, and eventually guided Celtic through a turbulent campaign.

Defender Alistair Johnston struggled to contain admiration for O’Neill and the squad’s resilience on Sky Sports. Johnston said: "It’s the greatest league win - it must be of all time, defender Johnston told Sky Sports. Never count us out. We just felt like we were going to find a way. Unbelievable. [Martin O’Neill] is a winner. Build him a statue, it’s as simple as that. He just finds a way to win."

Hearts’ collapse on the final weekend underlined the drama of this Celtic Scottish Premiership title race. Since the start of October, Hearts spent 226 days at the summit, while Celtic led for just a single day, yet finished champions after overtaking Hearts at the final opportunity.

Club captain Callum McGregor highlighted the emotional impact of this Celtic Scottish Premiership title on the players and support. McGregor said: "For the first time ever, I’m speechless. You see what it means to everyone. What a season. Everyone wrote us off. We knew we’d get a chance. We keep going and going. What a special group of people. Magical."