Former Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew has expressed his hope to one day go into management after joining the Dundee United coaching staff.
The 36-year-old still plays top-flight football in Scotland, over six years on from his second Parkhead exit back in 2016.
After a short spell south of the border, Mulgrew returned to his homeland to join Dundee United last campaign, helping them achieve a 4th placed finish last campaign.
And he remained part of the squad this season, despite the exit of Tam Courts, with Jack Ross taking his place in the summer.
It has been far from the ideal start to the season for Dundee United or Mulgrew, with Ross losing his job just months into the role and Mulgrew having a spell out injured.
Going into the second half of the campaign, the Tannadice side will be hoping to push on after interim boss Liam Fox took charge in September.
And Mulgrew will also be looking to kick-start his season after being appointed a new player/coach at United, joining Fox’s coaching staff [Dundee United].
Speaking in a recent interview, the Scotland international opened up on how he has coped with the role in the early stages and expressed his hopes of becoming a manager one day.
He said [Daily Record]: “The club were actively looking for a first-team coach, and the management spoke to me. It just snowballed from there, really. It is probably a great time in my career as I feel I still have something to add on the pitch and off the pitch in that side of things. I am delighted to be given the opportunity.”
“Yes, it will (take some time to adjust the balance). I dipped my toe in a wee bit just before the break, and then I was getting into it last week, but it has been difficult as we had triple sessions, so that is the most difficult time.
“But I have managed to get one or two bits and pieces in. I just want to keep helping the manager get his message across and obviously add my part and my opinion – hopefully, I can help.”
“I do have ambitions for that (to become a manager) in the future. But it is like starting a whole new career again.
“As much as you have been in the sport and have been an experienced player, there are still a lot of things you need to learn. I’m not daft enough to think there isn’t. Hopefully, that will come in the future, but right now, I need to put my hours in and learn from the manager and coaching staff here, then go forward from that.”
Mulgrew aiming to join other former Celts in management.
Of course, Mulgrew is still a player, and at 36, he appears to still have aspirations of performing for his current club and at the top level.
However, the defender has now taken his first step into coaching after becoming part of the staff at Dundee United.
He isn’t the only former Celtic man who has taken the step into coaching over the last few years, with some of his old teammates, including legendary captain Scott Brown taking the next step in football.
Now, we are even seeing the likes of Brown and Kolo Toure moving into management roles, at Fleetwood Town and Wigan, in England.
So, it comes as no surprise to see that Mulgrew also has aspirations to join other former Celtic men in management one day, when he brings his career to a close.
It remains to be seen when that day will come. But for now, I am sure he is looking forward to learning from his new role at United, which could prove valuable in helping him improve as a coach.
Who knows, maybe one day, a return to Celtic may be on the cards. However, there is a long way before we can think about that as a reality.
In other news, Jermaine Jenas is silenced by Daizen Maeda as Celtic star shines on the biggest stage.
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