Shaun Maloney on how he was inspired by Tony Mowbray at Celtic and wants to emulate his ex-manager at Hibernian

The Englishman was in charge for less than a season at the Glasgow giants and departed without winning a trophy.

Yet Maloney, who will return to Celtic with his Hibernian side for a cinch Premiership match tomorrow evening, was still impressed with his people skills, training methods and football philosophy.

“There’s lot of things you take from different managers,” he said. “Even from certain managers when there’s a time at a club that doesn’t bring success. You still feel or see something or have a connection with somebody. On an individual level something really positive might have come from it.”

Maloney has been unsurprised to see Mowbray put the ill-fated episode at Celtic firmly behind him – he is in his fourth season with Blackburn Rovers and the Ewood Park outfit are currently challenging strongly for promotion to the Premier League – and expects to sound him out for advice in the near future. 

He can recall how well the former Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town defender did when he was at Hibs – he was named SFWA Manger of the Year after leading the capital club to third place in the Premiership in the 2004/05 season – and admits he would like to have exactly the same sort of impact at Easter Road in the future. 

“I haven’t spoken with Tony since I came in,” he said. “I know he is doing an amazing job at Blackburn. But I spoke to him a fair bit when I was with Belgium because there was a goalkeeper (Thomas Kaminski) there who was coming into the squad. When I got the job he sent me a very nice message. I am sure I will speak to him soon.

“I remember his Hibs team. They were very difficult to play against. I also remember the fans inside the stadium when that team was successful. It was an intimidating place to come.

“And that has to be the plan, that has to be where my team get to. We have to get to a place where we sell out our home games as much as possible. We need to give the supporters something really exciting, something they enjoy watching. They have to feel they are part of this journey. That’s my job, I guess.

“I just hope we get to a stage where it feels like that era or previous eras where there’s a real connection with the fans and me and also with the club. That’s what we’re going to try and build. I know winning matches helps, but for sure there will be moments we don’t win. But I still want the fans to feel there is something they have seen that they can connect to.”

Maloney will doubtless be helped in his goal by his assistant at Hibs – former Celtic and Scotland captain and centre half Gary Caldwell played under Mowbray during both of the seasons that he had in Leith.

“Gary’s fitted in really well,” he said. “I think we share the same ideas on football, we definitely share the same ideas on coaching. And he just has different attributes to the other staff I have brought in. He has made some really good connections with the players he is coaching on a more individual basis.

“At the very beginning of the process when I spoke to Mr Gordon (Hibs owner Ron) I spoke to Gary and he was very positive about his experience at Hibs. So he was a real driving force at that stage. He’s been very good, as have all the staff. I have worked them very hard, but I appreciate the work they have done so far. We have more to do, that’s for sure.”

Maloney feels that Caldwell must take much of the credit for the robust defensive displays in the wins over Aberdeen and Dundee United that he has overseen since succeeding Jack Ross as Hibs manager last month.

He knows that his team must be watertight at the back to do well going forward – especially if they are to take anything from the meeting with Celtic at Parkhead – and is keen to build on the progress that has been made in that area in a short space of time.

“That’s the plan,” he said. “Look, I love attacking, exciting football. I want to give something to the fans they’ll really enjoy watching. But from a coaching point of view I believe the foundation of any successful team has to be the defensive side.

“Any team, no matter what level, is going to have to defend at some point. Now, I want to try and attack and execute as much as possible, but the defence is the foundation to any team for me.”

Maloney will be without his first choice right back Paul McGinn and centre half Ryan Porteous at Parkhead after both players picked up retrospective suspensions – McGinn for comments he made about the referee after the Premier Sports Cup final against Celtic last month and Porteous for violent conduct in a Premiership encounter with Aberdeen.

The former Scotland midfielder feels that Hibs in general must improve their discipline to be successful.

“It’s not about individuals, it has to be a team collective because we need 11 players on the pitch as often as possible,” he said. “Over the course of the season I need to have as many players as possible available to me.

“We have some really good players missing. Some really talented you players, like Ryan and all the options he gives us. Unfortunately, they’re missing for this game.

“I’ve only been here a few weeks but, moving forward, I think we have to improve on that side of things. But the players have been very receptive to anything we’ve spoken about.”