Former Celtic favourite on 'sacrificing' Hoops role for 'incredible step up'

Former Celtic player and coach Shaun Maloney has recently spoken about his career in coaching so far and the call from Roberto Martinez that took him away from his boyhood club in 2018.

The former Hibs and current Wigan Athletic manager, who came through the ranks at Albion Boys club and then at Parkhead, had two spells in the Hoops from 2001 to 2007 and then from 2008 to 2011. After hanging up his boots in 2017 following a stellar career that included 47 Scotland caps, he took up a coaching role with Celtic's under 20 side.

However, he wasn't in that position long and the following year he received with an opportunity that was too good to turn down. That call came from his former gaffer at Wigan Athletic, Roberto Martinez. The ex-Everton gaffer was in charge of the Belgian men's national side and wanted Maloney to join his team.

Speaking to The Coaches Voice, Maloney explained: "The invitation from Roberto Martinez to join his coaching staff with Belgium was so unexpected that I thought he was calling me to ask about Dedryck Boyata. It was August 2018. Boyata was at Celtic, and I was coaching the club’s B team.

"Graeme Jones had recently left for West Brom, and Roberto knew that Thierry Henry was also going to leave – so he offered me a role as one of the assistants with the national team. I gave him a pretty quick answer. Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Vincent Kompany were elite players, and some of the best in their positions. Working alongside Roberto, at that level, represented an incredible step up.

"I started by trying to do both roles, but the way I wanted to go about my position with Belgium meant it proved impossible. I had to sacrifice my work with Celtic. In the new role, I spent a lot more time with Roberto than I ever had as a player at Wigan. We discussed a lot of things around his philosophy, and I got to see him not just as a manager but also as the technical director of the Belgium FA.

"It was another position with challenging time restraints and a juggling of responsibilities – which, in Roberto’s case, included being the head coach as well. I learned so much more about the detail of his coaching. He was constantly open to trying new things, taking advice and getting new feedback."

Maloney's full interview with The Coaches Voice is available to read HERE.