Report links 2 former Celtic players to Aberdeen manager's job

By David Walton

March 10, 2021

A report in the Daily Record has linked two former successful Celtic players with the vacant managerial role at Aberdeen.

Derek McInnes was sacked from the Dons on Tuesday night after a season in which both performances and results have been a major disappointment. Dave Cormack had been under extreme pressure from supporters to make the decision.

And now all eyes turn towards his successor. Whilst many Celtic fans will be interested to see if this role entices the return of Neil Lennon to the Scottish game, other Celts have been linked with the job.

Indeed, the Daily Record have stated that Shaun Maloney and Paul Hartley have both been linked with the job. They even went so far as to say that the former was keen on the gig.

However, the report has identified Atlanta United 2 coach Stephen Glass as the favourite for the job.

Two ex Celtic players linked with Aberdeen job; Maloney the most intriguing fit

Either one of Maloney or Hartley would be an interesting fit in the Granite City.

The former has never been a number one, but is clearly highly-rated by Roberto Martinez in Belgium. Maloney works for the Belgian national side as a first-team coach. He may even have been looked at as a potential Celtic candidate for some as an outside-the-box choice.

As for Hartley, he certainly has a managerial CV he can be impressed with. Back-to-bac promotions with Alloa from League Two to the Scottish Championship before taking over at Dundee and taking them into the Premiership. Hartley even managed a top-six finish in his first season back.

Cove Rangers boss Paul Hartley / (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

His forgetful spell with Falkirk has already been wiped off the memory thanks to another promotion with Cove Rangers. If Aberdeen are looking for a manager to work on a budget and produce wonders, Hartley’s proven in the past he can do just that.

But it would also be great to see Maloney back in Scotland. Finally seeing what kind of style he would prefer as well as what he’s learned from Martinez would be intriguing to say the least.

As for now, however, there are no certainties regarding the potential candidates. It will be interesting to see how this one unfolds.

In other news, Nir Bitton is reportedly pushing to be fit for the derby.