Celtic News

Jackie McNamara reveals hilarious case of mistaken ‘Scouser’ identity when legendary manager was unveiled

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Image for Jackie McNamara reveals hilarious case of mistaken ‘Scouser’ identity when legendary manager was unveiled

This has to be one of my favourite bulletins of all time by the team at A Celtic State of Mind.

I am lucky enough to represent this site on their Wednesday bulletin at 1230pm every week but when you are part of a team that comes up with Celtic content like this, it truly makes you appreciate just how special being a Celtic fan is.

Jackie McNamara was a special guest on the show and I have already covered today how he revealed the moment when John Barnes lost the Parkhead dressing room.

In this piece, he remembers fondly the legend that is Wim Jansen and how some of the squad had a case of mistaken identity when the new gaffer at the time arrived for training.

Speaking on A Celtic State of Mind, McNamara said, “It was obviously strange. Murdo was taking the training at the time and he just kind of appeared.

“We didn’t know much about him. We just saw the tracksuit and the perm and some of the boys thought there was a Scouser coming in.

“But I think initially even when he first came in and we had our training camp over in Holland, he was very much to the whistle.

“Everything was to the whistle, the time, discipline.

“Even down to everybody eating, lunches and dinners you had to be there.

“Start at the same time, finish at the same time, didn’t want anybody being late.

“So discipline right from the start, although he wasn’t a massive shouter or screamer.

“He was very calm that he was very disciplined in how he went about it.”

You can tell by the tone of the conversation that Jackie looks back on that time, and his former manager, with great fondness.

And, of course, Jansen himself will never be forgotten by the Celtic fans for stopping the infamous bid for ten in a row by our rivals across the city.

If you know your history – Neil Lennon

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