Celtic delivered a heart-stopping 3-1 victory over Hearts, and manager Martin O'Neill couldn't hide his emotions in the aftermath. "I was so excited it's untrue," he told BBC Scotland, reflecting on a win that was anything but straightforward.

The Hoops have made a habit of late drama in recent weeks, and this match was no different. O'Neill admitted the tension was palpable, especially when Daizen Maeda's goal was initially flagged offside. "I thought immediately when the flag went up that that was it," he said. "But we were never out of it—we've done brilliantly in recent weeks."

Falling behind early, Celtic faced a formidable Hearts side that "are very strong, they were going for it," O'Neill noted. "When they get a goal, it means two to beat them. It seemed a long way back." Yet the team's resilience shone through. "We have come from behind in matches before," he added. "There were some really great moments for us, some frustrating ones. In truth, I never gave up hope."

The decisive moment came when Callum Osmand found the back of the net. "The only time I felt like we had won the game was when Callum put the ball in the net," O'Neill said, describing the frantic final stages. "It was all hands to the pump towards the end—they gambled everything, but we were able to score."

Drawing comparisons to his legendary squad from two decades ago, O'Neill acknowledged the challenges of a 38-game season. "I had a really brilliant side 20-odd years ago, so there's different aspects to it. In a season like this, you don't have much time, so from that viewpoint, it's really pleasing to win."

Looking ahead, the manager emphasized the importance of smart recruitment. "Recruitment is paramount. We've got to be looking at players capable of handling not only domestic football—with Hearts getting very strong and Rangers getting strong, it will be difficult—but also European football. We did brilliantly in some of our games this season. There's a place in European football for this club, and that's what you should be aiming for."

As for his own future at Celtic, O'Neill remained coy. "I genuinely don't know. Has anybody talked to me? No, but I wasn't expecting that. There will be time for conversations after the cup. I'm pretty old, so it does take it out of you. I'm delighted for the team and the supporters. Let's see what next week brings."