Former Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew has credited his experiences at the Bhoys for piquing his interest in coaching and the tactical side of the game.
Mulgrew is currently a defender and first-team coach at Dundee United, planning ahead for the next stage of his career once he eventually hangs up his boots.
It’s something he’s wanted to get to grips with for a long time, stretching back to his time working under Ronny Deila as a Celtic defender.
As quoted by Football Scotland, he said of his new role: “I’ve had this in my mind for years now, probably since I was 30, maybe earlier.
“I remember when Ronny Deila was the manager of Celtic and, although it seems hard to understand today, tactics weren’t as big a thing in football 15 to 20 years ago. It was ‘get your best players on the pitch’. But Ronny had a style and a way of playing. ‘Philosophy’ is probably the right word because he did see the game a certain way and was adamant on it.
“You can go further back to Martin O’Neill. Then it was about keeping the players happy and getting your best players on the pitch; they are men who know how to win games. The game has developed now and is a lot more tactical.
“So it was around the time of Deila coming in at Celtic that I started to think, ‘How would I do this and what would it look like?’. I remember Ronny wanted to play attacking football, quick passing, possession of the ball but attacking at pace. It wasn’t necessarily about Ronny Deila. It was just that moment in time when I started to think about the game in a certain way.”
Mulgrew remains a popular figure with Celtic supporters and there will be keen intrigue about how his coaching career works out.
He was an excellent performer, winner and leader for the Bhoys. It’s easy to see his traits making him a success in post-playing endeavours. But there’s a long way to go on all that, so the very best of luck to him for now!
In other news, “I walk into training every day with a smile”; Aaron Mooy left buzzing with Celtic experience.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
