Steven Pressley leaves Premier League role, could Celtic make a move | OneFootball

Former Celtic and Hearts defender Steven Pressley has left his role at Premier League side Brentford. The 51-year-old had been in charge of individual player development but it was confirmed that he would depart after four years in the role.

In a statement on Thursday, The Bees confirmed that Pressley was leaving in pursuit of new opportunities within football.

“After careful consideration, I’ve decided it’s time for a new challenge in my career.

“I leave the club having formed some great friendships, great memories, and also being appreciative of the opportunity to work with some highly-skilled people, which has allowed me to learn and grow as a person.”

Pressley was tasked with aiding players move from the B team into Thomas Frank’s first team. By all accounts, Pressley was highly rated but his comments after the Hearts managerial vacancy became available likely suggested he fancies a return to the dugout.

It remains to be seen whether this means that Pressley will be looking to move into management. Pressley has a reasonable CV within management, working in Scotland, England and even in Cyprus.

The role that Pressley was operating in at Brentford sounds similar to the role assumed by Darren O’Dea at Celtic, helping young players bridge the gap between youth team and first team football.

Celtic are looking for a replacement for O’Dea, who will leave the club for Swansea City to take up the Assistant Manager role. O’Dea graduated from the Celtic Academy as a player and returned as a coach, working with Celtic’s B Team. However, after one season, he moved into a newly created First Team Pathway Manager role. This is an important role and one that should be a priority for the club this summer.

There will be a number of external candidates for the role. However, if the club were to go down the route of an ex-player then there is a possible contender in Stan Petrov.

Petrov, who was a hugely successful player for the club, is qualified as a coach and holds a Masters in Sports Management. The quality of Petrov’s analysis showcases his knowledge of the game as well as his continued connection to Celtic. Petrov works as a Director for a firm that assists players preparing for retirement. Although, you do wonder that if an opportunity came up at Celtic whether he would like to make a sensational return to the club.