Shaun Maloney Takes Hands-On Role with Celtic Forwards
Shaun Maloney is stepping out of the shadows at Celtic – and straight into the firing line with the club’s forwards.
The assistant manager has confirmed he will take on a far more hands-on role with the attacking players this season after a reshuffle in Martin O’Neill’s backroom staff.
Maloney, speaking after Celtic’s Scottish Premiership clash with Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on 9 August 2026, explained that he has now inherited the detailed one-to-one work previously handled by Gavin Strachan and Greg Wallace.
The former Celtic midfielder had largely operated away from the training pitch, focusing on broader duties around the squad. That changes now.
“I have picked up the individual work with the attacking players after games,” he told The Herald. “Last season it was Gavin Strachan who did that. I can't take any credit for that! We also had Greg Wallace, who went to Saudi with Brendan Rodgers recently, and those two were really good with the individual stuff. I was doing things away from the pitch more, so I will pick more of that up this season.
“Stephen McManus and Mark Fotheringham do their stuff with different positions, but it was Gav and Greg who did the attacking work.”
The shift comes at a time when Celtic’s forward line is as crowded – and as competitive – as it has been in years. Every training session is now an audition.
- Yang Hyun-jun
- Jota
- James Forrest
- Sebastian Tounekti
- Summer signing Camilo Duran
are all jostling for minutes in the attacking roles, with Haissem Hassan expected to add yet another dimension to O’Neill’s options.
That depth means detail matters. The extra half-yard in a duel, the decision to go inside instead of outside, the confidence to try again after losing the ball. Those are the margins Maloney is now tasked with sharpening.
He will do so under a manager who has been crystal clear about what he wants from his wide players. O’Neill demands aggression. He wants risk. He wants wingers who see a defender in front of them and go after them.
Explaining that approach, Maloney said: “Martin is really aggressive in that he wants wingers to take on their opponent when we create a one-v-one. He gives the wingers the confidence that they can do that and that they shouldn't worry about losing it.”
It is a simple message, but a bold one: attack your man, accept the mistakes, keep going. For a group of forwards fighting for their place, and an assistant manager now directly responsible for their edge, the margin for hesitation is shrinking fast.
