Efrain Juarez to reportedly become Ronny Deila’s assistant in strange Celtic combination

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Former Celtic flop Efrain Juarez looks set to team-up with Ronny Deila in the USA in what’s looking like a bizarre Celtic combination.

According to Aftenposten, ex-Hoops boss Deila went to meet Juarez whilst he was on holiday in Mexico. This was in order to persuade him to become his new second assistant coach at New York City FC.

Interestingly, this wouldn’t be the first time the duo have teamed up either. Deila actually signed Juarez for Valarenga last year as he looked to bolster his right-back options. During his time at Celtic, Juarez flopped in the midfield for us.

And it appears as though the duo have hit it off given this recent reveal. Not many would’ve pictured Deila and Juarez together as a management team, but it could very well happen. Deila said the following regarding Juarez to VG:

“With so many Spanish-speaking players in the stable, it is an advantage with someone in the coaching team who speaks Spanish. That’s one of the reasons I’m bringing Juárez with me. Also, because he is a good person and a good footballer.”

The Celtic connection grows further

If this is a deal that gets pulled off, more than a few Hoops supporters will be keeping their eye on New York City this season.

Juarez couldn’t have been much more of a failure at Parkhead of course. It was current manager Neil Lennon who initially signed him in 2010 for £2million and found himself having reported interest from Arsenal after only four matches (Scottish Sun).

Juarez also has the tag of being the first-ever Mexican to play in the Scottish Premiership. However, a lack of strong performances saw him lose his place in Glasgow, and he eventually moved on in the summer of 2011.

Deila arrived at Celtic three years later and managed to win three pieces of silverware including two Premiership titles. However, things didn’t end well for Ronny either as we watched our team regress in the 2015/16 season.

But even so, neither man left Celtic with any bitterness attached. Supporters will still wish both men all the best should they tackle this new challenge together. It would also surely call time on Juarez’s playing career too, which has seen him feature for the likes of Real Zaragoza, Club America, and the Vancouver Whitecaps respectively.

The deal between the pair has still to be agreed and announced, but it looks promising. Given their previous relationship in football, it could be a surprising pairing that works out nicely.