Martin O’Neill says he is “pleased to continue” as Celtic manager after his interim spell ended with seven wins from eight games.
The Northern Irishman succeeds compatriot Brendan Rodgers, who resigned at the end of October. Wilfried Nancy then took over the job permanently and lost all three games in his first game in charge.
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O’Neill described his five weeks back at the club where he coached from 2000 to 2005 as “a bit of a hangout”.
However, he said remaining in charge of Sunday’s SuperSport Cup final, which Celtic lost to St Mirren, was not a motivating factor.
When asked if he wanted to lead Celtic against Hampden, he replied on Talksport: “Only if asked.”
“That’s not motivation. I’d be happy to stay.
“If they asked me to stay, I would do it, but when they said ‘no, that’s your time,’ I agreed.”
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O’Neill, 73, said he only spoke to the “affable” Nancy for “10 or 15 minutes” during the handover earlier this month.
Sunday’s defeat follows losses at home to Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts and Europa League rivals Roma.
“I stepped into the workplace, [major shareholder] Dermot [Desmond] He said to me, ‘You might be here for two weeks or two months, we’re looking for someone,'” O’Neill explained.
“When you get into it, you really enjoy it. You enjoy winning and that’s the point – that’s what it’s about.
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“You have to give the manager a chance. I think back to my time at Leicester City, where I ended up being hugely successful. After 10 games I couldn’t win a game to save my life and the crowd was cheering. How lucky I was to be able to win a few really important games at one stage.”
“You’ve got to win, you’ve got to win. You’ve got to settle again. There’s some good players at the football club. There’s also some boys who have won big games. Lean on some of the senior players. Lean on them and have them on your side.
“Of course, it’s recoverable. You’re at a football club for 10 or 12 days.
“You can’t judge anyone after three games. It’s a tough game. You have to give the manager some time.”
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‘Divided Celtic need harmony again’
Former Aston Villa boss O’Neill, who won five Scottish league games, including a semi-final defeat to Rangers and a memorable Europa League win at Feyenoord, feels “re-energized” during a “whirlwind time” in Glasgow.
“I’m very, very worried,” he said.
“If you fail, you’re considered too old for the job and it’s a young man’s game.
“Thank God I don’t think I messed it up.”
O’Neill believes Celtic “need to be harmonious again” amid turmoil between fans and the board.
“Celtic disunity is not what people should realize about Celtic,” he said.
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And, when asked if his brief return to management sparked his interest in another job, his response was clear: “I would have to say absolutely.
“I never lost interest in the game, I certainly didn’t lose my passion, and I still had energy to burn.”
