Welcome back Darren O'Dea

Right you all are, of course it was McManus who moved to the B team, not O'Dea.

 

Darren O'Dea has opened up on his working relationship with Ange Postecoglou as he insisted the manager is like a director of football.

The former Hoops defender, 35, is currently in charge of the Parkhead club's B team alongside Stephen McManus but still gets to learn from Postecoglou and gain valuable experience in the process. Following a restructuring at Celtic, Postecoglou also has a more direct role in the oversight of the B team and it is for this reason that O'Dea sees him as almost like a sporting director.

Speaking to Off the Ball, the Irishman started off explaining his own role with McManus at Celtic Park before going on to talk about the Hoops boss. "It’s a joint role; the two of us lead the B team," O'Dea said. "Essentially it’s the reserve team, that’s the easiest way to explain it. But the difference is now that this year there’s been a restructuring – it’s directly under the manager, he takes a massive say in it.




It’s essentially trying to align our team into the first team in terms of style of play, culture, profile of player, recruitment – everything aligns into the first-team.

"Hopefully this alignment gives us a better chance to get more players through.

“I wanted to work at a club where I wouldn’t have to sacrifice my own principles. I can assure you, having to align with this manager I’m not sacrificing any of the principles I have in my head.




He has a wonderful way of seeing football, with nuances that are unique to him. It’s a pleasure to coach a fantastic style, the broad principles are exactly what I believe in as well




Celtic are built on it. It’s built on entertaining people. Of course, the by product of that is winning cups and leagues.

"I don’t want to get too dramatic with it but I do feel this manager is just perfect timing for me. He’s living proof, he’s sticking his neck on the line, you see the strength he’s got and how much he believes in what he does



The whole club, the players, the staff, everyone in the club takes strength from that. I’m learning a * of a lot from it.




I think the way he would maybe describe it is that myself and Stephen are head coaches and he’s like a director of football.

"Ultimately everything will go through him but he gives us a lot of autonomy. It’s a fantastic learning experience for me.

 

Ange is such an inspirational person man, reading that gave me goosebumps. You can tell how much O’Dea enjoys it and it transfers over.

Don’t think I’ve ever came across a person who inspires me as much as Ange. Just a totally sincere human being with an amazing philosophy on life in general.

 

Well there you go chaps, if Ange ever packs up and leaves… he’s grooming his replacement in mr o’dea!

And we know Darren would never dream of leaving us for Brighton or Leicester. So our future is secure, Ange-ball for the next 40 years or so.

Or he ends up becoming an alcoholic, and plying his trade in the Cypriot league. You just never know in this crazy game!

 

CELTIC coach Darren O’Dea is in the frame for Inverness.

SunSport understands Caley chiefs are keen to speak to the 36-year-old Irishman about their vacant manager’s job.



Caley are on the hunt for a new boss after sacking Scottish Cup final gaffer Billy Dodds on Sunday night following a poor start to the new season.

O’Dea is coaching Celtic’s B team in the Lowland League after a playing career which started with the Hoops and took him to Reading, Ipswich, Toronto, Dundee and Blackpool.

He also represented Ireland 20 times before starting coaching with Motherwell in 2019.

Caley chiefs have placed John Robertson in charge along with Charlie Christie but hope to make a swift appointment.




O’Dea is high on their list of candidates along with Kevin Thomson, Liam Foxand Neil McCann, while ex-St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson is bookies’ favourite.

The Caley Jags axed Dodds just three months after he signed a new deal in the Highlands.

The Championship hopefuls have been on a disastrous run of form with eight defeats and a draw from their last nine games.

And Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Raith Rovers has proved to be the final straw.

 

Darren O’Dea has pulled out of the running for the Inverness job. Caley Thistle had been granted permission to speak to the Celtic B team coach last week.

The Irishman, however, took time to consider his position and has decided to remain at Celtic. O’Dea didn’t speak to the Scottish Championship club despite the fact an interview was scheduled for the next 24 hours. A source close to O’Dea stated: “Darren was flattered by the approach but it isn’t something he is interested in at this point and has taken himself out of the running.” Inverness are currently going through the interview process as they look to appoint as successor to Billy Dodds, who was sacked last week

 

Not totally surprised. There was a bit of chatter on BBC Sportsound yesterday about Scott Brown having been up in Inverness for talks so maybe that may've also explained O'Dea's decision not to persue further.

 

Decided to stay to continue to oversee our B side getting pumped every week.

Lucky us

 

Celtic Football Club is delighted to announce that former Celtic defender and B team Head Coach Darren O’Dea has been appointed to the position of Professional Player Pathway Manager, with the aim of developing the progression of players at the club.

Reporting to the Head of Celtic’s Youth Academy, in this important new role Darren will work with the first-team manager, Brendan Rodgers, the Head of Academy Coaching and the club’s B Team and Academy Coaches, ensuring the effective development of players to play for Celtic.

Through the development and maintenance of strong relationships with clubs across leagues, both within Scotland and further afield, the role will also manage loan opportunities which support the player pathway and development opportunities.

Darren said: “I am really looking forward to giving everything to this exciting new opportunity.

"Having been being fortunate enough to be part of a Celtic first-team environment in my career I am passionate about working to give other young players this same opportunity.

"In this new role, I will be working between our Academy structure and the first-team environment to ensure that we do all we can to provide the very best pathway and levels of support to allow our young players to reach their full potential and to ultimately deliver at first-team level.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers added: "Celtic has such a rich history of creating and developing its own players and is something which I am hugely passionate about.

"This important new position will allow us to give real focus to ensuring the very best possible pathway and level of support to bringing our younger players successfully into the first-team environment, so they too can create their own history at the club.

"Darren has great experience in this area and he is the perfect candidate to work between our Academy and first team and I am sure his work will achieve very positive results for the club and our supporters."

Chris McCart, Head of Celtic's Youth Academy, said: "We are delighted that Darren has been appointed to this role, which we believe will be very important in preparing our young players and allowing them to flourish and ultimately be part of our first team.

"Darren has a huge knowledge of the club, our Academy and, of course, the first-team environment and so he is very well qualified to be managing this really important area of player progression. Everyone at the Club congratulates him on his new appointment."

 

DARREN O’DEA is wanted by Raith Rovers as their new boss.

The Irishman recently took on a role as Celtic’s new professional player pathway manager.


But O’Dea, 37, has admirers at Raith as they step up the hunt for Ian Murray’s replacement.

He earned plenty of plaudits for his work as Celtic’s B team coach, before his backroom promotion.

Raith chief Andy Barrowman revealed they have compiled a shortlist of candidates to replace Murray, who was sacked after just one game of the Championship season.

Tam Courts, Kevin Thomson and Rhys McCabe have also been linked with the Stark’s Park job, but O’Dea has emerged as a possible contender.


However, it’s unlikely that O’Dea will be lured away from his new Parkhead position so quickly

 

Be as well letting him go.

I mean at the moment, we have created a full time job for him to monitor the progress of Tillio and Bernabei. 2 guys that will never play in our 1st team ever again.

No doubt we will add to his workload over the next few weeks with likes of Kwon, Kobiyashi and Lawal. Another 3 players unlikely to ever play 1st team football for us.

What a fantastically, professional, well run club we are.

 

O’Dea’s only 37!? That’s mad that. He’s 3/4 eras of Celtic ago man.

 

Younger than Ronaldo????