Former Celtic manager Martin O‘Neill had nothing but praise for the club‘s former striker Chris Sutton, who, according to O‘Neill, changed his play style and formed an amazing partnership with Henrik Larsson during his time at Celtic.

Despite having a less–than–successful stint at Chelsea, O‘Neill said that Sutton was an “absolutely fantastic“ player for him at Celtic.

O‘Neill also noted that Sutton had previously said he would never become a pundit after retiring from the game, yet he can now be heard “everywhere just now“.

O‘Neill said that Sutton has been getting a lot of people‘s attention, including Ibrox manager Michael Beale, who O‘Neill suggested may find Sutton “irritating“.

However, O‘Neill said that Sutton isn‘t going to change for anyone and that‘s just the way it is:

As cited by SunSport: “Michael said something about Chris being a failure at Chelsea – which he was – but he was absolutely fantastic for me at Celtic.

“He changed his whole game and sometimes I don’t give him the credit he deserves because he was a major signing for is and his partnership with Henrik Larsson was absolutely amazing, not just in the Scottish scene but the European scene as well.

“It’s funny about Chris because, as a player, he said one thing you’ll never find him doing is being a pundit once his career was over.

“But in actual fact, Chris is everywhere just now and I checked up Radio Mars and I think I heard him on there. “Chris is getting up a few people’s noses.

“I suppose for Beale he’ll find him irritating but too bad, it’s the way it is and Chris isn’t going to change for anyone.”

Sutton handled the comments from Beale very well and gave it bit back to the Ibrox boss. I wonder if Beale will have a go at O’Neill next – saying that, both O’Neill’s playing and managerial career dwarves anything Beale will likely ever do in the game.