Shaun Maloney has reportedly been interviewed to be Head of Football Operations at Celtic.
It’s certainly been an eventful year for Maloney since he was brought in to replace Darren O’Dea as Player Pathways Manager ahead of this season.
Of course, he ended up spending much of the season as interim assistant to Martin O’Neill, as part of the coaching “dream team” with Mark Fotheringham and Stephen McManus.
He is now in contention to move into a third different role in less than a year at the club.
What should Shaun Maloney’s role be at Celtic next season?
Shaun Maloney interviewed for Celtic Head of Football Operations role
According to Stephen McGowan of The Herald, Maloney has been interviewed for the role which was previously held by Paul Tisdale.
Nick Hammond first held the job title in 2019, leaving the club two years later.
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The position was then functionally dissolved over a turbulent period when Dom McKay came and went as CEO and Fergal Harkin’s deal to become Director of Football collapsed.
Mark Lawwell was then named Head of First Team Scouting and Recruitment in a vaguely similar appointment in 2022, but resigned after several disappointing windows.
Step in, Tisdale. The former Exeter City, Bristol Rovers and MK Dons manager had been working as a self-employed consultant through his company, Tis Talks TEAM, where he referred to himself as a “football doctor”.
No one knew exactly what he did day-to-day in his role of Head of Football Operations, but he played a leading role in the appointment of Wilfried Nancy.
Tisdale worked with Kwame Ampadu, Nancy’s assistant, in his time at Exeter City, creating the connection which led to Celtic’s interest in the Frenchman.
Nancy’s brief and disastrous spell led to the pair’s sacking at the beginning of this year, a telling indication that the club wanted a reset.
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Aiden McGeady on Shaun Maloney’s role at Celtic
Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show, Aiden McGeady was asked if Maloney could be the next Celtic manager, replying: “If I’m being totally honest, I can’t see it.
“Because, I think… Shaun took over after Wigan. He took over as Player Pathways Manager. Very very quickly, [he] took over as interim assistant to Martin O’Neill.
“I think, if a new manager comes in, in my opinion, Shaun will either stay on the coaching staff, or I think Shaun will possibly be the new director of football.
“Or, head of football operations. Celtic don’t do directors of football, so head of football operations.
“Because the things that I know inside Celtic [are] that everyone’s very happy with how Shaun’s been doing and how he’s been handling things.
“Because Shaun’s got a lot of different roles there at the minute, he’s not just assistant to Martin O’Neill. I think, effectively, Shaun kind of put the coaching staff together alongside Martin.
“And he’s been in charge of the recruitment, as well, in January. As we said, there’s no head of football operations in there anymore, with Paul Tisdale being gone. Nancy was, I think, Tisdale’s appointment as well.”
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