Rumours have lingered about Maloney's role at Parkhead with O'Neill in the dugout

There's no doubt Martin O’Neill is the Celtic manager. Yet there’s been plenty of questions over who is REALLY in charge of the club.

A fair few fans reckon O’Neill is the figurehead at Parkhead but it’s really Shaun Maloney who is pulling the strings behind the scenes.

The assistant coach stepping up to perform media duties on the eve of the crucial Europa League clash with Celta Vigo might have got a few chins wagging again.

It turned out O’Neill was only absent due to a personal issue but the Northern Irishman will be back in the hot seat this evening.

And Maloney wanted to put the record straight when it comes to the chat of who is running the show around Celtic Park.

The no.2 said: “I think anyone that's written or said that, I don't think they've ever worked with Martin.

"If they came and watched us each day, Martin leads everything. Recruitment, team selection, tactical. He says he takes responsibility whether it's win or lose.”

Maloney’s role is not just a BBC man – balls, bibs and cones – though as O’Neill’s coaches have always been vital in his set up.

It was John Robertson and Steve Walford who did the spadework when Maloney was a player under the Northern Irishman two decades ago.

This time it’s the former winger and Mark Fotheringham with the responsibility.

Maloney said: “Even back 25 years ago, Martin very much would observe training.

“There were certain things he would step in and it's exactly the same here.

"He observes the majority of training, but when there's something that he wants to put across to the players, he steps in.

"It's how he works is pretty much exactly how it was in the early 2000s.

"So, yeah, whoever says that, obviously, hasn't worked with him or spoke to him.

"In fairness, he's there every day or 99 per cent of the days Martin's there.

"Sometimes he'll stay on one if that's something he thinks is really important. He's the manager, so when the manager's there, I'd imagine the intensity does go up.”

Maloney is a loyal lieutenant – and he’s determined to preserve O’Neill’s Parkhead legacy.

He said: “I felt a little bit like that last season. I don’t know if that was the right way to think. Martin always said that the legacy thing didn’t affect him.

“So I don’t know whether it was right or wrong that I felt that way.

“Maybe protective is the right word for it.

“I feltI owed him a lot for what he did for me as a person and my family. “One day you’re cleaning boot and the next you’re living out your dream. So for a man to do that for you’re indebted to him.

“I felt that all last season but this season feels a little different.

“The opportunity to go and win again overrides that feeling.”

Maloney prefers to work in the background but he admitted his life got turned upside down when his office door got chapped last October to step in and help out the then caretaker boss.

And there might be another big decision required at the end of this season.

Maloney said: “My own plan was, for family reasons, I came in as head of loans which I did not expect to love as much as I did.

“You get very invested in the players trying to break through or out on loan.

“The idea was to spend a couple of season and try and help what I could here and then eventually go back in as coach and manager. “That changed in October when obviously things were tough here.

“I will figure all that out at the end of the season. Myself, the boss and Mark (Fotheringham) are all signed for this year.

“Let’s see what the season has in store. Two weeks ago it was a really different period.

“We have to keep our heads down and try to keep winning. It’s an amazing experience this club.

“Obviously I played here and we had an amazing experience last year.

“To work here and feel the magnitude of three defeats in a week, to go through that and deal with it there are not many clubs that have that much scrutiny and intensity on staff.

“It has been some experience so far. We have a big battle domestically.

“Rangers are a strong side. Ask me at the end of the season.”

Perhaps asked him at the end of tonight. Maloney admitted this Celta clash is pretty close to a must win in terms of the Hoops Europa hopes.

But first and foremost Celts need to figure out a way to be tougher to beat after being ripped apart when they’ve stepped up a level this season.

Maloney said: “We definitely have to figure out a few of the structural things in terms of without the ball.

“What suits this team and all the players within it without the ball. And then just a full commitment from everyone to defend.

“We’ve got really talented players as, I think, the weekend shows, and the second half against Benfica.

‘We’ve shown it already this season that we can be.

‘We’ve also shown that when we aren’t quite at the same levels without the ball then we can get hurt against any side.

“That’s the challenge we’ve had since the start of the season – to find that sort of consistency without the ball.

“I think that was one of the great things about the international break.

"I think it's our job to try and create that again tomorrow and moving forward because when we're really good without the ball, then I think we can be a really decent side.”