It would be remiss to let the Martin O’Neill saga to pass without recalling how Leeds United once got his signature on a piece of paper saying that he would join the club, only for the Derryman to slip through their fingers and stay with Celtic. In Lausanne on Wednesday for the Nations League draw, O’Neill was reluctant to talk in any detail about his courtship this month with Stoke City, arguing that it was not the right time to get into the matter. In time he will perhaps dismiss it as “old hat”, just as he did after his secret deal with Leeds emerged when Peter Ridsdale, the club’s former chairman, took some enjoyment out of spilling the beans. Ridsdale was keen on O’Neill,…

Source: The Times January 26, 2018 00:00 UTC