Former Celtic defender and now B coach Darren O’Dea has opened up on the impact which legendary Hoops figure Tommy Burns had on his career.
All Celtic fans, across different age groups, will know of Burns as either players, manager or coach. But what comes to mind most when it comes to Tommy is the sort of character and person he was around the club.
One player who he had a massive impact on during the early stages of his career was former academy players Darren O’Dea, who moved to Glasgow at a young age to join the club’s Academy.
Speaking to Celtic TV, O’Dea opened up on what Tommy Burns has done for his career as a whole, telling a brilliant story and expressed how he continues to have an impact to this day in the way he coaches the players of the future at Lennoxtown in his current role with the club.
“Tommy did things that are mind-blowing now I’m working this side of this game.
“To give you an example, I was homesick at one stage; I was struggling a wee bit.
“Tommy came out at half seven at night and ate dinner in the digs. He never really told me why he was there; it was just to have his presence there. We ended up speaking for a few minutes; it was really, really kind of, off the record and not formal in any way.
“Usually, with Tommy, you had a bit of a laugh, and I just felt ten times better when he left. But he never told me the reason he was out. Looking back, he’s got his kids, his wife, he’s probably been at work all day long, yet he’s coming out of the house at half seven at night, just for one player.
“That level of care, I feel that responsibility now in the Academy, to the players. That side of him was pivotal in me going on to have a career, let alone a Celtic career.”
As stated, these sorts of stories just go to show exactly the type of person Tommy was, around the club and in day-to-day life.
Anyone will tell you; it is impossible to find one person who has a bad word to say about the legendary Celtic and Scottish Football figure, who was such a great person.
It is great to hear stories like this from O’Dea and how Tommy is still having an impact around the place in the way he helped nurture the Celtic coach during his early days in Glasgow.
