Shaun Maloney Takes Charge of Celtic's Attack

Shaun Maloney is stepping out of the shadows and into the penalty box.

The Celtic assistant has confirmed he will take on a far more hands-on role with the club’s forwards this season, filling the gap left by Gavin Strachan and Greg Wallace in Martin O’Neill’s reshaped backroom team.

Maloney, speaking after Celtic’s Scottish Premiership clash with Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on 9 August, explained that his remit is shifting from background duties to direct, technical work with the attackers once the final whistle goes.

“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.”

That baton now passes to Maloney at a time when the fight for attacking places at Celtic is tightening by the week.

Yang Hyun-jun, Jota, James Forrest, Sebastian Tounekti and summer signing Camilo Duran are all jostling for minutes in the forward line, with Haissem Hassan set to add yet another option for O’Neill in the wide areas. Every training session matters. Every post‑match debrief will, too.

O’Neill has been crystal clear about what he wants from his wingers: risk, aggression, and a willingness to go it alone when the space opens up.

Explaining the manager’s demands, 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.”

So the message is simple. Celtic’s wide men are being told to attack, to keep attacking, and not to fear the mistake. Maloney’s new brief is to make sure they have the tools – and the conviction – to do exactly that in the months ahead.