The manager who became ‘unbelievable’ after working with Brendan Rodgers at Celtic

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To sit underneath Brendan Rodgers’ learning tree must be quite something.

The Celtic manager has mentored plenty of coaches and managers and is often happy to dish out advice with the likes of Scott Brown benefiting in recent times.

Rodgers has plenty to offer in terms of his experience and knowledge and one former Scottish Premiership striker believes an old gaffer of his has developed enormously thanks to the Irishman.

Brian Graham has worked with plenty of good coaches in their own right including Neil Lennon during his time as Hibs manager. But it was at Raith Rovers where he was guided by John McGlynn that sticks out in Graham’s mind.

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Brian Graham says John McGlynn improved as manager after working with Rodgers at Celtic

The current Falkirk manager, Graham says, was always tuned in and switched on when it came to analysis. Ahead of the curve, even. But it was after working at Celtic as a scout that made the 63-year-old even better.

“I’ve got to give a mention to John McGlynn at Raith Rovers. To a fine detail even before they brought in video analysis. I remember at Dalgety Bay, I was full-time but the squad was split,” Graham told the Scottish Sun.

“On a Monday I’d go to training and Tuesday then we’d go to Dalgety Bay at night for the part-time boys coming. It was as if you were back at school, he’d wheel in the telly and he has the handheld camera. Plugs in the two wires and has a wee laser pen.

“He’s buzzing about with his wee laser pen, ‘I need you here and there’, that was just John McGlynn, just brilliant to a fine detail. He knew the game inside out. But the best thing that ever happened to John is going to Celtic as a scout and watching how Brendan Rodgers worked, because John’s totally changed.

“A friend of mine, John Baird, went back to work with him after he’d done that and said, ‘Brian he’s unbelievable now.’ And I thought he was unbelievable then.

“See what he’s done with Falkirk and turned it around there, top of the Championship, and he’s a fantastic manager.”

McGlynn’s Falkirk gave Celtic a scare this season

McGlynn’s Bairns are top of the Scottish Championship at the time of writing and he has come on leaps and bounds since his time at Stark’s Park.

Falkirk spooked Celtic earlier this season in the Premier Sports Cup before they’d eventually be turned over in what was an entertaining 5-2 win for the Hoops at Celtic Park.

On that day McGlynn’s attacking mindset was on full display as they took the lead twice thanks to goals from Ross MacIver and Finn Yeats.

Celts and Rodgers needed the big guns off the bench to seal their passage into the next round and Nicolas Kuhn banged in a brace before the final whistle.