Celtic confirm O'Neill resignation
 |  Strachan will be O'Neill's replacement as Celtic manager |
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GLASGOW, Scotland -- Celtic have confirmed that manager Martin O'Neill is stepping down after five years at Parkhead and will be succeeded by Gordon Strachan.
O'Neill will be in charge of the team for the last time when they meet Dundee United in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park on Saturday.
The club issued a statement saying: "It is with great reluctance that Celtic plc announce that manager Martin O'Neill is leaving the club for family reasons."
O'Neill is leaving football to help care for his sick wife Geraldine, who has been receiving hospital treatment for months.
Last Sunday Celtic's hopes of lifting the Scottish title were dashed when they conceded two late goals at Motherwell, enabling arch rivals Rangers to become champions by winning at Hibernian.
The team must now come through three qualifying ties to reach next season's European Champions League.
Celtic chairman Brian Quinn praised O'Neill's contribution at Celtic, where he established himself as the club's most highly-rated manager since the halcyon days of Jock Stein, in the sixties and seventies.
"Martin O'Neill's contribution to Celtic has been quite immense," said Quinn.
"He has played a central role in the club's enormous success over the past five seasons and he goes with sincere best wishes from everyone associated with the club.
"While it will come as a great disappointment that he is leaving, we fully respect the reasons behind his decision.
"He has continued working for the past 18 months despite great pressure and personal stress."
O'Neill said that his reasons for leaving were purely personal.
"It has been an honour and privilege to have served the club and its supporters during that time and being part of Celtic history," he said.
"My time at Celtic has been most rewarding and I have been privileged to have worked alongside a large number of very talented and committed people throughout the club."
O'Neill's assistants, John Robertson and Steve Walford will also be leaving the club.
Planned break
Strachan is returning to football following a planned break after being manager at Southampton.
He had a distinguished career as a player, winning 50 caps for Scotland and being named footballer of the year in both Scotland and England.
He played under Alex Ferguson at Aberdeen, when the team won two league titles, three Scottish Cups, the Cup Winners' Cup and European Super Cup.
He came south to join Manchester United and was joined there by Ferguson but then he moved on to Leeds and Coventry, where he began his managerial career.
