Belgium international manager Roberto Martinez is expecting former Celtic midfielder and coach Shaun Maloney to bring a new approach to Scottish Football after his appointment with Edinburgh side, Hibernian.
Maloney spent several years playing under Martinez but also worked alongside him as part of the coaching set-up with Belgium. So, it is fair to say that the former English Premier League boss knows Maloney well.
As quoted by the Daily Record, Martinez is excited to see what the 38-year old can do at Easter Road and believes he can have a significant impact on Scottish Football in general.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to seeing what he can change in the next 18 months because I know he can bring a different approach to Scottish football with the ideas of working in international football.
“It’s going to be good for Hibs and the development of Scottish football in general.
“He has really strong values; he doesn’t just want to manage a team and win games; he wants to build a football club, the philosophy, develop the players and have a long-term vision for recruitment.
“He is ready. For us, it has been fantastic to have him working with the team for three years. He is someone I know as a player, and that transformation to become an ultra-dedicated coach was fantastic.
“I would have loved to have kept him until the World Cup because it’s only round the corner. The reality is he got really intrigued by the project.
“Once he met the owner and CEO, he believed in the project and long-term future of the club.”
It has been a good start to life in Edinburgh for Maloney so far, picking up six points from his first two games against Aberdeen and Dundee United before the beginning of the winter break.
There is some interest surrounding his appointment, given how well he speaks about the game and the high praise he has received from managers such as Martinez and Brendan Rodgers.
If all goes well in his managerial career, it could be a potential option that Celtic look to go down, much further down the line.
His first game back after the winter break will certainly be an intriguing test, with Maloney’s Hibs side travelling to Parkhead to face Celtic.
