As the Celtic fans look to the club to start announcing new signings, it seems that there is one on its way that won’t be welcomed by the Parkhead support.
Celtic have enjoyed a secure financial footing over the last decade or so and that is, in part, thanks to the work put in behind the scenes at the club.
Sponsorship deals with the likes of worldwide brands like Adidas have kept Celtic one step ahead of our rivals in terms of finances which has also helped our dominance on the park.
And the key person behind that Adidas deal looks like he is about to quit Celtic and head to the Premier League according to a report in Glasgow World.
Adrian Filby set for Aston Villa move
Adrian Filby has been the Commercial Director at Celtic for the last 15 years. His affiliation with the club goes as far back as 1997 when he was originally hired as Celtic’s Special Projects Manager. [LinkedIn]
After spending just over five years in the job, Filby left the club to pursue a role at the Daily Record as their Sponsorship and Events Director.
Six and a half years later, a Celtic return was in place and Filby was appointed the club’s Commercial Director where he has spent the last 15 years.
Filby was credited by Peter Lawwell as being an instrumental figure in helping to secure the historic £30m kit deal with Adidas back in 2020 and with EA Sports to be part of the FIFA franchise in 2022.
That deal was the largest in Scottish football history and has produced some outstanding kits that have been hugely popular with the Celtic fanbase.
Lawwell said of the deal at the time, “This is a hugely significant new partnership for Celtic and our supporters and allows us to look to the future with confidence.
“To be able to create this fantastic new relationship demonstrates the strength and stability of the Club and the power of our enduring story.
“I would like to congratulate everyone at Celtic and Adidas who have worked to deliver this fantastic new partnership between two of the world’s great sporting institutions, in particular, our commercial director Adrian Filby.”
This move is likely to come as a shock to Celtic and with the kit deal with the German sportswear giant coming to an end next year, the club will need their best people on helping to secure another big name to help keep Celtic ahead of the financial curve.
Whoever Celtic turn to to replace the outgoing director, will certainly have huge shoes to fill.