Shaun Maloney really doesn't care who ends up being the manager at Parkhead. He is focused on making a good impression regardless of who he is or who will be part of the management team. Celtic are talking to Finland coach Stuart Baxter about working as a director of football with Neil Lennon, who is set to be appointed permanent manager. Lennon make a decent fist of his period in charge of the Hoops when it came to league business when he brought former Hoops team-mate Johan Mjallby to work with him. As news of Alan Thompson leaving Newcastle hit the media, the rumour mill started that his next job would be as part of the Celtic coaching staff.
However, Hoops players and fans are still left lingering in limbo as the board take their time about who will replace Tony Mowbray. However, midfielder Maloney, whose Achilles injury has kept him on the sidelines since the 1-0 defeat by Hearts in October, is fit and ready to fight for a first-team place again no matter who is installed in the hot seat. He said: " The manager tells you if you are playing or not, tells you how to play and if you don't then you don't play, it is as simple as that. I'd like to think I would not have any trouble whoever the manager is going to be. But I know that whoever gets the job, I am obviously going to have to prove myself to him because I haven't played football for a little while. I know the name (Baxter) and what he has done in different countries in Europe and things like that. I know he has been mentioned but I'm not entirely sure what's happening. I've got to be honest, I'm not entirely sure what the director of football entails, I couldn't really answer that. I saw it the first year I was here when I was 16 and cleaning boots and on kit duty, and I haven't seen it since so I'm not sure what you would have to do for that job. But if he is part of a team - and Lenny does get the job - I'm sure Lenny will have full trust in all his backroom team. Obviously Johan came and he played a big part in the last eight or nine games of the season. Alan also did really well for us when he was a player here for six or seven years and if he was part of the new coaching staff he is another person who I have a lot of respect for. Hopefully something gets announced in the next few weeks after the club has done their background work. I think that whoever comes in to us, whether experienced or not, just needs to be the right man and I'm sure the board will have that sort of man in mind. I can only talk for myself, I'm not overly concerned about the wait, it's just part of football. Time needed to be taken to make sure we get the right person and I can fully understand that."
While most of his Celtic team-mates are on holiday, Maloney will continue to work on his fitness before he takes a break. He said: "I'm fully fit, and have been for two or three weeks. I had an Achilles problem that kept me out for a few months or so and unfortunately within a few days back training other things broke down. It kept happening each time I tried to get back to training and it was frustrating. I was down in London numerous times during the first few months. But I always knew there would be a time when I was going to be fit so it could have been worse. The main goal is to stay fit and play as many games as I can next season so pre-season is a big thing in my mind."
Shaun Maloney really doesn't care who ends up being the manager at Parkhead. He is focused on making a good impression regardless of who he is or who will be part of the management team. Celtic are talking to Finland coach Stuart Baxter about working as a director of football with Neil Lennon, who is set to be appointed permanent manager. Lennon make a decent fist of his period in charge of the Hoops when it came to league business when he brought former Hoops team-mate Johan Mjallby to work with him. As news of Alan Thompson leaving Newcastle hit the media, the rumour mill started that his next job would be as part of the Celtic coaching staff.