Maeda fit as O’Neill prepares for last Old Firm derby

Martin O’Neill is relishing what is “most likely” his final Old Firm match as Celtic chase victory over Rangers on Sunday to stay in the title hunt.

Preparing for his first derby at Celtic Park in 21 years, the interim manager confirmed that influential forward Daizen Maeda is fit to play after picking up a knock last weekend.

With three games remaining, the defending champions are three points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts, who visit Motherwell on Saturday and enjoy a superior goal difference.

Rangers are currently seven points off the summit.

Having finished on top in 13 of the past 14 years, O’Neill reckons the fear of losing their title is driving his players on.

“It’s not a position that the football club has found itself in in recent years,” said the 74-year-old. “Generally speaking, they’ve gone clear and there’s been no opposition.

“There’s been plenty of opposition this year, not just from Rangers but obviously from Hearts.

“So it is a big, big change, not something that a number of these players have been used to. You have to get used to it. You’ve been chasing, you have to keep chasing.”

Last season’s top-scorer Maeda, who has four goals in the past three matches, completed last Sunday’s 2-1 win away to Hibernian but limped off holding his boot.

“He’s fine, which is really, really good,” said O’Neill. “He has trained and he has got no reaction. He’s had a super couple of weeks.”

This season, in two separate spells, O’Neill is unbeaten in three meetings with Rangers, winning in both cup competitions after extra time and drawing at Ibrox in the league.

In his first period at the club between 2000-05, O’Neill won 16 derbies, drawing three and losing eight.

Celtic are on a run of four successive league victories, while Rangers have lost their past two matches to fall off the pace.

However, Rangers did win on their last visit to Celtic Park in January when Wilfried Nancy was in charge of the hosts.

When quizzed about building momentum at the right time, O’Neill was cautious.

“I genuinely don’t know that,” he said. “The games that we’ve had have been difficult. So I’ve not tried to analyse that much about it. We’ve got over the line.

“But I think the Old Firm game looks after itself.”

Addressing his future, O’Neill replied “most likely” when asked if this would be his last derby game.

On his memories of the famous fixture, he added: “Just the intensity, the atmosphere itself, both at Celtic Park and at Ibrox. It really is phenomenal.

“The atmosphere at Ibrox where they scored two early on in the match, the place was really, really rocking, it compares to any atmosphere in Britain and probably in Europe.

“And I think that could be echoed on Sunday.”