Paul Tisdale’s full career history as Celtic make move to review Lennoxtown operations

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Celtic will task Paul Tisdale to review and improve processes behind the scenes at Lennoxtown in a new football operations role at the club.

Reports over the last 24 hours indicate that Tisdale will examine Celtic recruitment, the club’s use of data as well as player and coach development.

Celtic had a slow summer transfer window but eventually showed ambition to make major signings, including a record deal for midfielder Arne Engels.

Improvements in processes would be very welcome. They can help the club modernise and become more efficient in the transfer market.

As chairman Peter Lawwell recently explained, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for Celtic to attract top talent, and the club must do everything in its power to retain a competitive edge.

Here’s a look at Tisdale’s football history as Celtic turn to him for advice and forward planning.

Paul Tisdale’s long management career ahead of Celtic stint

The 51-year-old is best known for a marathon stint as Exeter City boss between 2006 and 2018, having had to retire early from playing in 2000.

He took the club from the non-league pyramid to English League Two and then League One, achieving the club’s first-ever back-to-back promotions in 2008 and 2009.

Tisdale initially solidified their status in the English third tier before relegation back to League Two in 2012.

Multiple attempts to be promoted again followed, and there were dramatic runs to promotional play-offs, but that glorious return never came before his departure in 2018, ending his reign as the longest-serving manager in England at the time.

During this run as Exeter boss, Tisdale developed a reputation for strong player trading based on analytics and data, helping the club punch above its weight.

Stints at MK Dons, Bristol Rovers and Stevenage followed, but he never quite found the home that Exeter provided him.

Paul Tisdale outside of management

Tisdale has also done consultancy work for Colchester United and Ado Den Haag in the Netherlands, as well as advised Fulham and Crystal Palace.

He created a mentoring company called ‘Tis Talks Team’, using his football experiences to help businesses in various industries.

Tisdale describes his work on the company’s official website, stating: “I learned very quickly in my management career, that football is not about the romance of the ‘beautiful game.’ It is about running a business.

“Only 5% of job is technically football, 95% is about people and getting the right processes in place to help me make the right decisions and to deliver under pressure.

“From those experiences, TTT has created a series of models that can be easily applied to any business to help to improve performance, develop sustainable processes and drive culture.”

It’s believed Tisdale has already been working with Celtic throughout the summer as a self-employed consultant.

His appointment will now trigger the implementation of recommendations across different departments at Lennoxtown to best prepare the club for long-term challenges.