Former Celtic defender, Charlie Mulgrew, has embarked on a new coaching journey in Scotland with Hamilton Academicals.
After taking his UEFA Pro-License course last month, Mulgrew was offered a position at the League One runners-up as their new u-18 coach last week.
Once thought to be in the frame for a job at Celtic, Mulgrew is now settled in at The Accies and has opened up on the one former Hoops gaffer who really inspired him the most.
Tommy Burns was ‘ahead of his time’ at Celtic
The late, great Tommy Burns was a superb manager for Celtic. The solitary Scottish Cup he won during his tenure as the gaffer did not do the style of football he brought to the club justice.
And here, Mulgrew pays tribute to the Celtic legend.
Mulgrew said [Hamilton Advertiser print edition page 35], “I have learned a lot from every manager that I worked under. There was stuff I would do, stuff I wouldn’t do and stuff I think could have been better.
“I was speaking to big Gordon Marshall the other day about Tommy Burns and we both agreed he was ahead of his time. He was all about total soccer and playing football.
“He visited Ajax for 10 days back in the 1990s and came back with these ideas of how to play the game.
“I remember when Martin O’Neill was manager at Celtic, Tommy was head of youth and he taught us a lot about the game and he was all about total football when it wasn’t really fashionable, so he really was ahead of his time when you look at the game now.
“I learned a lot from Tommy and he has been a big influence on me.
“And all the experience and knowledge I have gained down the years makes me the person I am today and how I see the game.”
Celtic supporters of my vintage will remember the kind of football the team played under Burns. Signing players like Pierre van Hooijdonk, Jorge Cadete, Paulo di Canio and Andreas Thom made the team a tremendous attacking unit.
Tommy came so close to stopping Rangers’ run for nine-in-arow and will always be remembered for not just ending Celtic’s trophy drought of the nineties, but also how close he was to the Celtic support.
Tommy lived and breathed Celtic and when his time was up at the club, walked out of the Parkhead front door with his head held high and as a legend in the eyes of the fans.
A true hero of the Celtic supporters, it’s great to see Tommy Burns still influencing current coaches in the Scottish game.