Paul Lambert has revealed that it was Berti Vogts that put him on the right track into management.
Vogts time in charge of Scotland is generally viewed as a distaster as the FIFA ranking plunged downwards while caps were handed out to players from allsorts of unlikely outposts.
Lambert’s first steps in management at Livingston were far from promising but after spells at Wycombe and Colchester he has come into his own at Norwich achieving back-to-back promotions and turning himself into one of the brightest prospects in the game.
Norwich are being widely tipped to do a Blackpool (entertain and head for relegation) but with his cosmopolitan background Lambert is ready to adapt as he takes his first steps into the Premiership.
“Football is about winning and we would want to do that in the Premiership,” the former Celt declared. “It wouldn’t be enough just to be there.
“We’ve been described as a cavalier side and that’s fair enough. I might have to change it a bit for certain games. I’d rather play poorly sometimes and nick a point than lose all the time.
“I never played in the Premiership but I don’t need to be Einstein to sit here and think, ‘it’s going to be brilliant for us’. It will be great. The lads are going to enjoy it. However, if we are playing Manchester United one weekend then Arsenal on a Tuesday I might give a different answer but it sounds good.
“The players wouldn’t have done this if they weren’t good. We will bring in players to help them but the lads who have got us there deserve the chance to give it a go. You have to stretch footballers and take them to the edge at times but the biggest thing is they have to play with no fear.”
Lambert’s cv makes for incredible reading!
As a teenager he won a Scottish Cup winners medal.
In one season with Borussia Dortmund he picked up a Champions League winners medal, beating Manchester United and Juventus in the semi and final.
Joining Celtic he helped stop Rangers ten-in-a-row bid as a key part of Wim Jansen’s side.
In less than two season’s he has guided Norwich from mid-table in League One to the Premiership.
He has however never picked the correct lottery numbers but since moving to Dortmund Lambert has left nothing to chance and took an unconventional route into coaching.
“Berti is the man I have to thank for helping me get into coaching in my final season at Celtic,” Lambert recalled. “He put me in touch with Erich Rutermuller who ran the German FA course and I went to see him.
“He left me under no illusion as to how difficult it would be in terms of time management, because I was still playing for Celtic, and in terms of the language difficulties.
“It didn’t put me off, though, and I came home to speak with Martin O’Neill and to see if he would allow me to do it. Celtic’s only stipulation was that in an injury emergency they would want me back. That did happen twice but I always managed to catch up on the course.
“It was pretty daunting but it was what I wanted to do and I was determined to see it through – even if the first day reminded me of my first day at school, only at least I spoke the language at my school.
“There were 26 Germans, a Greek and myself and I wondered if I would fit in. But once I got into it I really enjoyed it. A friend got all the paperwork translated for me so I could go back to the hotel and study at night.
“Then I would fly home on the Thursday night, train with the Celtic boys on a Friday and almost invariably sit on the bench at the weekend.
“After seven months I sat down in front of two examiners, a bundle of nerves, and by the end of it had a licence that will allow me to coach anywhere in Europe. To get on in life you can’t always take the easy option. I like setting myself challenges and seeing them through.”
WILL NEIL LENNON TURN TO YOUTH AT KILMARNOCK?
Follow Video Celts on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube