Journalist Gordon Parks has been talking about Gavin Strachan and has words of praise for the new Celtic first-team coach.
Parks was recently present on the Record Celtic podcast and a discussion took place about Celtic’s decision to bring in Strachan as the club’s new first-team coach. Parks had high praise for Strachan and even revealed that he actually wanted to be a journalist earlier.
The Hoops recently confirmed that Strachan has joined as first-team coach with BBC Sport saying that he has replaced Damien Duff in the role. Hoops boss Neil Lennon hailed Strachan to be a ‘brilliant’ appointment for the Parkhead-based side.
While talking about the 41-year-old, Parks revealed that he knows Strachan pretty well: “Well, Gavin is somebody that I got to know over the years, I’ve known him for many years. I dealt with him quite often, more so when he was trying to become a BBC journalist. He was writing a weekly column, he was cutting his teeth.”
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The journalist went on to heap some praise on the sort of individual Strachan is, calling him a ‘pleasant’ person.
He said: “He’s very intelligent, very thoughtful, very pleasant. He doesn’t have that cantankerous edge that you can certainly look at his dad of having. He’s more of an easy, enthusiastic kind of guy, very deep thinker, very passionate about the sport.
“And he’s somebody who’s done it the right way, the hard way. He’s got coaching at the bottom end and he showed what he’s got to offer. And let’s be honest, you don’t get a post at Celtic unless you’ve got a real aptitude and real ability to go and harness. First team, second team and the whole academy setup to put your eye across it, Damien Duff had that kind of overview and that kind of energy, and Gavin Strachan is very much a like-for-like [replacement].”
Judging by what Parks has to say, Strachan comes across as an individual who loves the game. The manner in which he was ‘cutting his teeth’ in journalism earlier shows that he could also be a determined individual.
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Strachan is now well-experienced in the game and he recently left Peterborough United in what was his second stint as the club’s assistant manager. Previously, he has also been at Doncaster and had managed Ilkeston as well (via Transfermarkt).
With Duff having left the club to join the Republic of Ireland side, Strachan’s role will be very important. He is, of course, the son of former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan and that link should certainly please Celtic fans.
With the club now heading into a vital season as it offers them the chance to win their 10th Premiership title in a row, Hoops fans certainly hope that Strachan does a good job as the team’s coach. It can go a long way in determining how the season ends.