Wilfried Nancy is stepping into something new at Celtic.
The pressure to win is unlike most other clubs – it’s not an expectation in Glasgow, it’s a demand.
Martin O’Neill was keen to stress this before vacating the hotseat for Nancy; he is one of a selection of Celtic managers to have truly proven himself as a winner.
Nancy may not have been everyone’s preferred appointment, but he is sure to receive the utmost support of the Celtic Park crowd when he takes charge of his first league game against Hearts on Sunday.
Given the daunting nature of his first run of fixtures, he’ll certainly need it, as he recognised at his unveiling press conference.
Wilfried Nancy’s laugh-out-loud moment at first Celtic press conference
Nancy has won silverware at both of his previous clubs, setting records in the process.
He was named MLS Coach of the Year last year after guiding Columbus to the final of both continental competitions in CONCACAF, winning one.
READ MORE: Brilliant story of Martin O’Neill showing his class behind the scenes at Celtic press conference
Speaking at Lennoxtown, he was asked his impressions of any interactions he had with Celtic fans.
He said: “Yes… passion! And again, I’m very pleased with that, because my job is not a normal job, with a lot of humility.
“The life that we have is unbelievable, but at the same time, we know that we have a lot of pressure – but pressure is part of our life.
I was really pleased to see people welcome me everywhere, so I hope it says like that! (laughs). But no, listen, I’m really, really happy.”
How are your first impressions of Wilfried Nancy?
Nancy takes charge of his first game in interim charge of the Hoops on Sunday, and it’s a big one in the top-of-the-table showdown.
After that, it’s a glamour tie against high-flying Roma at Celtic Park on Thursday, before he competes in his first final with the Hoops after just a week in the job, in the Premier Sports Cup final against St Mirren.
All the best, big man.
Wilfried Nancy’s backroom staff at Celtic
Nancy hasn’t done an Ange Postecoglou and come all by himself – three background staff members have followed him from Columbus.
Irish assistant Kwame Ampadu is familiar with Celtic’s Head of Football Operations Paul Tisdale from their time together at Exeter. When asked about Ampadu, Nancy admitted that he ‘loved’ him, calling him ‘wise’.
Jules Gueguen is his fitness guy, but Nancy stresses that he does more than just that, providing important ‘creativity’ to his coaching team.
Lastly, Max Challier is his video analyst. He’ll have had plenty of homework to do over the last few weeks.
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