Martin O'Neill finally confirmed yesterday that he will leave Celtic on Sunday, following a testimonial match for Jackie McNamara and the previous day's Scottish Cup final, but has already given his successor Gordon Strachan a ringing endorsement.
The seamless change of management at Celtic Park, which will also see O'Neill's assistant John Robertson and the coach Steve Walford leave, will end his five-year tenure and, according to the Derryman, start a bright new phase for the club.
Even as he was spelling out the reasons for his decision - his wife Geraldine has lymphoma cancer - he was backing the former Southampton manager to the hilt.
"I've spoken to Gordon at length already and I know first of all he will do his own thing," O'Neill explained.
"Both of us feel this is a good time for him to come in because fresh blood is needed here and that was going to be the case even if I had stayed.
"A few months ago the club looked at a long-term plan and it was very exciting. Now Gordon, bubbly and ferociously enthusiastic, will step in and get on with it. He is certainly up for it and he will be brilliant. He has all the attributes to be successful here."
O'Neill had an input into Strachan's appointment on a 12-month rolling contract, beginning on June 1st, but he stressed it was a board decision.
Strachan's arrival, however, may not necessarily meet with the unanimous approval of Celtic supporters still shell-shocked at the double loss of the iconic O'Neill and the failure to win the Premier League title last weekend.
Football fans have long memories and Strachan, as an Aberdeen player, was often vilified on his visits to Glasgow.
But Celtic's chief executive Peter Lawwell insisted: "Our fans will give Gordon a chance. Our plans remain the same and he knows as much as anyone who has been outside the club what is required. He also recognises the challenge he has in following Martin. Gordon knows fresh blood is needed and he will identify that early on."
Asked about the Scot's fiery character, Lawwell said: "Gordon's temperament can be a strength rather than a weakness or a hindrance."
Talk of Strachan, however, is for next week and, after making official what had been unofficial for some time, O'Neill will now concentrate on Saturday's cup final against Dundee United and the rather less demanding matter of the McNamara testimonial against the Republic of Ireland, which in the circumstances is bound to be a hugely emotional affair.
All these dramatic changes have been caused solely by O'Neill's determination to spend more time with his wife.
"Geraldine was diagnosed around February last year, when she had treatment, and everything went well to the point where she got the all-clear in October," O'Neill said.
"But it has returned now and she has a battle on. I couldn't spell biopsy a year ago but I certainly can now. I also didn't know what courage was then. But we don't want sympathy, because we don't have a monopoly on bad news, and now I just want to give her some time back, because she's given me plenty."
So O'Neill will take time off, although he will no doubt reflect on five turbulent years at Celtic Park: three Scottish League titles, two Scottish FA Cups, the Scottish League and a Uefa Cup final.
"Seville for that final was both a highlight, because to see 80,000 Celtic fans in the city was wonderful, and also a major disappointment because we lost," he added.
"Yet I've enjoyed the five years immensely and I'm very sad to be leaving. The years have both flown and at other times have been the longest of my life. But overall it's been a love affair with Celtic, an honour and a privilege. I will never forget it."
O'Neill declared that at some point in the future he hopes to return to football, adding: "I still have things to do."
For now it is all about what he has achieved and Lawwell summed it up: "Martin has taken his place among the true Celtic greats."
Factfile
1952: Born Kilrea, Co Derry, March 1st.
1971: Makes Northern Ireland debut as a substitute against the USSR.
Joins Nottingham Forest from Distillery.
1978: Member of Forest's league and League Cup double-winning side.
1979: Wins a second League Cup winner's medal as Forest retain trophy with 3-2 victory over Southampton.
1980: Wins European Cup winner's medal as Forest beat German champions Hamburg 1-0 in Madrid. Runners-up medal from League Cup after Forest beaten 1-0 by Wolves.
1981: After 285 league appearances for Forest, with 48 goals, joins Norwich in February for the first of two spells as a player at Carrow Road. After 11 league appearances (one goal), transfers to Manchester City.
1982: Returns to Norwich in January after playing just 13 league games for City. Makes 55 league appearances, scoring 11 goals.
1983: Joins Notts County in August(64 league appearances, five goals).
1984: Wins last of 64 international caps in 2-1 win over Finland.
1990: Appointed manager of non-league Wycombe Wanderers after spells with Stamford and Shepshed Charterhouse.
1991: Wycombe win FA Trophy.
1993: Wycombe win Conference title to clinch promotion to the Football League and clinch another FA Trophy success.
1994: Clinch promotion from Division Three at the first attempt.
1995: Becomes manager of Norwich in June. Resigns in December h after a series of clashes with chairman Robert Chase. Appointed manager of Leicester.
1996: Leicester beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Wembley in the First Division play-off final, winning promotion back to the Premiership.
1997: Won League Cup final, beating Middlesbrough in a replay at Hillsborough to clinch a place in Europe for the first time in 35 years. Finished ninth in Premiership.
1998: Finished 10th in Premiership.
1999: Leads Leicester to League Cup final, where they are beaten by Tottenham, and to 10th place in the Premiership.
2000 - February: Leads Leicester to another League Cup win when they defeat Tranmere 2-1 at Wembley.
May: Foxes finish eighth in the Premiership, their highest placing.
June 1st: Ends four-and-a-half-year association with Leicester by joining Celtic.
2001 - March: Wins his first trophy in Scotland with a 3-0 League Cup final victory over Kilmarnock at Hampden Park.
April: Celtic win Scottish Premier League title with 1-0 win over St Mirren at Parkhead.
May: Celtic complete domestic trable when beating Hibernian 3-0 in Scottish Cup final.
October 31st: Celtic bow out of the Champions League and drop into the Uefa Cup.
2002 April: Celtic secure the Scottish League title with a 5-1 win over Livingston.
2003 -March: Celtic win 2-0 at Anfield to defeat Liverpool 3-1 on aggregate. But First Division Inverness Caledonian Thistle shock Celtic with Scottish Cup quarter-final win.
April: Becomes first Celtic manager to take club to a European final since 1970 with semi-final win over Boavista.
May: Celtic beaten 3-2 in extra-time by Porto in Uefa Cup final in Seville.
Lose Scottish league title to Rangers.
2004 - April 18th: Regains league title with 1-0 win at Kilmarnock.
May 22th: Earns second double in four years with 3-1 win over Dunfermline in Scottish Cup final.
December: Celtic knocked out of Europe.
2005 - April: Celtic reach fourth Scottish Cup final in five years with win over Hearts.
May 22nd: Two late goals see Celtic lose 2-1 at Motherwell and O'Neill's hopes of a fourth title in five years disappear as Rangers win 1-0 at Hibernian.
May 25th: Celtic announce he will step down after Scottish Cup final.
