Graeme Murty always dreamed of managing a big club in Scotland- but not at Ibrox.
The son of a Celtic fan he took up his dad’s interest in football and love of the green and white hoops.
In 1993 he made his debut for York City, after five seasons at the club he attracted the attention of Reading, for any Celtic fan the welcome party was impressive!
Joining Reading he recalled: “Steve Kean (former Celtic reserve) picked me up from the airport. I met Tommy Burns and Packie Bonner at Madejski Stadium with a hard hat and all the gear on as it was still under construction.
“We walked into the middle of the pitch and they said: “Do you think you would like to play here?”
“And I was like, ‘have you been to Bootham Crescent?!’
“Tommy was the nicest bloke I met in football. I had a nightmare first season and I found it hard, I wasn’t ‘me’. It took me a long time to settle down and just be ‘me’.
“He wanted players to do things they couldn’t do. And when they couldn’t, he didn’t get rid of them because he wanted to make them better. Which I think is a very commendable and laudable thing.”
After Burns left Murty went on to great success at Reading, enjoying two stints in the Premier League and picking up four Scotland caps. Although born in Yorkshire his dad was Scottish and he was also eligible to ply for Ireland through a grandmother.
The death of Burns in 2008 hit Murty strongly, he told the BBC: “He was a genuinely warm and friendly human being, who had time for anyone and was the most giving guy I have met during my time in football.
“When you go into work every single day and you see someone who’s never afraid to make hard decisions but also never changing the kind of person that they are, I think that gives you some kind of mark of the person they are.
“All the way through, throughout his time at Reading, when he was in Scotland, through all his time with Celtic, he conducted himself with marvellous dignity.
“It brings you back to the overriding principle that he was just a lovely guy and we’re going to miss him and obviously, mine and my families thoughts are with him at the moment.
“He brought a big team mentality to the club and he certainly opened our eyes to what the club could achieve just by what he aspired to. I think that aspirational philosophy stuck with the club.”
Murty left Reading in 2009 and had a season at Southampton before retiring through injury and starting out in coaching.
After four years coaching at Southampton he moved to Sevco to replace Ian Durrant as coach of the Development side.
Under Murty results have continued to be average with ONE MINUTE of top team action for Liam Burt the total Academy contribution to the first team.
Tomorrow at 3pm Murty will experience big time management in Glasgow, unfortunately for the former Reading man it won’t be at Celtic Park.