Report: Ex-Celtic scout John Park to become Director of Football at Blackburn Rovers

By David Walton

July 15, 2021

Former Celtic chief scout John Park looks set to be appointed the new Director of Football at Blackburn Rovers, according to the Lancashire Telegraph.

Park formerly worked with both Neil Lennon and Tony Mowbray during his days at Parkhead. The latter is currently in charge at Rovers ahead of the new English Championship season.

The Lancashire Telegraph reports that Park will be responsible for handling negotiations with incoming players as he leads their recruitment charge this summer.

Park is most famously known for identifying the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Victor Wanyama for Celtic. He also managed to source the likes of Ki-Sung Yeung, Moussa Dembele, and Gary Hooper too.

He would leave Celtic in 2016 after his “Head of Football Development” role after a nine-year spell at the club. He most recently worked with Legia Warsaw in Poland as their head of international recruitment.

John Park looks like forming a Celtic connection at Blackburn Rovers

It’s interesting to see Park on the move so quickly. He only joined Legia back in January 2021. It’s fair to say he hasn’t stuck around long.

His new gig at Blackburn will be somewhat new for him. Despite holding many roles in youth academies and as part of scouting set-ups, he’s never been a DoF.

Granted, his time working alongside Mowbray at Parkhead was hardly memorable. The Blackburn manager is still known for being one of the club’s worst ever managers, with recruitment a key part of that.

Park certainly picks up plenty of praise for the success stories, and so he should. However, there have been plenty of questionable and flat-out failed transfers identified by Park.

This was particularly evident during his time working with Mowbray. And in truth, that’s something that should concern the Blackburn support. Their period together at Parkhead couldn’t have gone more disastrously.

But it’s a new start at a new club with a new budget. Both men have certainly learned plenty since their time at Parkhead. So fingers crossed it goes well for them.

In other news: SCOTT Sinclair plays first game in Scotland since leaving Celtic