Peter Grant returns to Celtic Park an older and wiser man and as a first team coach in new manager Tony Mowbray's team he'll bring with him a wealth of experience picked up at all levels of the English game. He teamed up with Mowbray at West Brom of course but prior to that he had managed both Norwich and Bournemouth before assisting Alan Pardew at West Ham.
"I could kid you all on and say that I am not excited and that it's good to be back," said a beaming Grant, "but I am elated, I really am. I really just can't wait to get started. I've been down in England for 13 years now and had never dared to imagine the day I would walk back into Celtic Park, apart from as a supporter."
"To say it's a pleasant surprise is a bit of an understatement," said the former midfielder. "Although when Tony got the nod that there was the opportunity to be the Celtic manager he was keeping me informed with what was happening and said I would be a part of what he wanted to do. It was a no-brainer for us really. This is Celtic and people will say that the Premiership is the place to be and there is no doubt about that, it's a fantastic league, but Celtic is a different beast altogether."
Grant's time down south has been well spent and the highly respected coach insists that his head will overrule his heart in his new role. "I'm coming back as a different man," he said. "I haven't lost the enthusiasm, but I'm more in control and not such an emotional character. I think Celtic consumed me as a player. I loved being part of Celtic, but whether I enjoyed it is a different question."
"You never really enjoyed it." he continued. "If you won one game then you were back in to get ready for the next game. The intensity of this club, going straight from being a fan to playing for Celtic was huge for me. Both my grandfathers ran Celtic supporters buses and Celtic was all I knew. My dad would tell me how rubbish I was after every game, so maybe that's why it wasn't so enjoyable! Seriously, I can enjoy it now because of the experiences I've had since leaving. My focus is different now and I know why things go wrong or go well. I understand managers' problems now and good and bad experiences have made me a stronger guy."
"Every job I took and every job I was offered, people used to say that it was another step towards going back to Celtic," said Grant. "I never looked upon it that way, but the experiences I have gained in that period of time has been amazing and I have been fortunate in that I have worked in every division in England. I have worked in the Premiership for three years and have worked with some fabulous footballers, the likes of Teddy Sheringham, Javier Mascherano, Yossi Benayoun and Carlos Tevez. I have been to finals, I have lost finals, I have been promoted and relegated and I would have never gained that in a million years had I not left."
As the new regime take control at Celtic Park the emotive Grant insists that he hasn't returned to Glasgow to resume the role of 'the heartbeat of Celtic'. "Let's get one thing straight here," he said. "I am here with a tracksuit on, the scarf is back in the drawer again. I am here to improve and to help the players improve, I am here because I have earned my stripes over the last 13 years and Tony has seen fit to bring me here as part of his back-up."
"I am delighted in that respect," he continued. "But I am not here as a cheerleader, I am here to bring something to the table. We all have one goal together, to make Celtic as good as we possibly can. We have to be winners, I know what it's like to suffer here as a player and the best thing I did was go away, because I think it meant too much to me as a player."
"Even when we won things, even if I was outstanding in a game, I never enjoyed it." said Grant. "I loved playing here, I loved being a part of it, but if you are asking if I enjoyed it, I don't think it would be the same answer. Here at Celtic, you have to win to enjoy it, but you enjoy it for five minutes and move on to the next challenge."