The veteran has sampled some all-time great nights under the lights at Parkhead and 3-2 win over Besiktas took him back

Martin O'Neill admits Celtic's rip-roaring comeback to beat Besiktas transported him back to the European nights of his first spell in charge.

It's been more than two decades since O'Neill took the Hoops all the way to the UEFA Cup Final in Seville, serving up some all-timers under the lights as the likes of Blackburn and Liverpool were swept aside.

But the 3-2 win against the Istanbul giants is as close as it's gotten since for the 74-year-old, whose players put their first points on the board of the Europa League table.

And it was his inspired introduction of Camilo Duran and Callum Osmand off the bench that turned the tide against the Turks after they took the lead early in the second half. Osmand scored with his first touch after just 43 seconds of coming on before Duran's dramatic double won it for the champions.

“That was a special European night, said O'Neill. "It reminded me of the olden days. The subs re-energised us and played a big part in the win.

“Duran has been fabulous for us all season and got his two goals. He has played a lot of games and looked a bit tired in the last couple. But he’s a class player and he was always going to come on. I’m delighted with the performance. It was fantastic.

“I told the players afterwards that they are a credit to the club. You can’t get a bigger accolade than that, but we put our heart and soul into the game.

“We played really good stuff, particularly in the second half. At 2-2, it looked like we would drop two points but we came roaring back to win the game.

“There was so much spirit and desire to get the three points. The character shone through big time. The winners came to the fore, as did the new boys.”

O'Neill has always insisted that the knockout stage wasn't beyond Celtic. That was despite losing their first three matches, and they'll be the first team to make through in the new format having registered a trip of defeats to kick-off.

They are now one point of the magic 24th place in the table. But O'Neill knows there's so much more work to be done to make that a reaily.

“We have had tough matches in Europe," he said. "You look at Besiktas – they are a fine side.

“We rose to the occasion and we have given ourselves a chance. We are off the mark now. We have points on the board and we can park it for a few weeks now.

“There is still a thought about qualifying but that is a long way off. Hopefully it gives us a platform to charge on but it’s not going to be easy.

"That was a great team we’re playing against. Camilo did amazing, he’s such a poacher. Credit to him.

“The team dug in, stayed strong and we got our rewards. I was so happy to come on, score a goal and get the win.”