It is always interesting to see former Celtic players transition into management after their playing careers are over. A few have done that successfully and enjoyed success on the managerial hot seat as well. On the other hand, there are others who struggle. Unfortunately for a former PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year, it is starting to feel like the latter despite how highly he is regarded as a coach.
Shaun Maloney came through the ranks at Celtic. Over his two stints with the club, he won a lot of trophies and made more than 200 appearances for the Hoops.
Since retiring, Maloney has stepped into management. In fact, he was considered a possible candidate for the Celtic job back in the summer of 2021 before Ange Postecoglou was appointed.
Maloney did go on to manage in Scotland with Hibernian. It was not a success and he was sacked four months later. And now, he has been sacked by another club, this time down in England.
English club announce sacking of Celtic hero as manager
As reported by BBC, Wigan Athletic have sacked Maloney after this weekend's defeat. That loss extended a run of just one win in seven games, which left the team sitting at 15th in League One, only six points above the relegation zone.
Maloney had been the Wigan Athletic manager for more than two years. That is a decent run when it comes to modern-day management, especially in the lower divisions.
It is safe to say that Maloney's managerial career is not going as well as he, and many others, had hoped. He was considered one of the rising coaches in the game not too long ago but has found it difficult to enjoy success anywhere so far. Let's see what the future holds for the former Celtic player.