MARTINEZ Maloney has an elite brain & eye for detail
HAVING spent his infancy in Malaysia it’s no real surprise Shaun Maloney wasn’t your average British-style footballer.
For Roberto Martinez that is what made him stand out and persuaded him to sign the playmaker for Wigan in 2011.
It is also one of the reasons he swooped for Maloney to join his Belgium backroom team before promoting him to assistant boss when Thierry Henry left for Monaco.
Maloney burst on to the scene at Celtic as a teenager under Martin O’Neill and went on to win 47 Scotland caps, having moved to Aberdeen from Asia as a kid.
And Belgium boss Martinez said: “I arrived in the British game at Motherwell in 1995. There are certain individuals who stand out because they are not the normal players brought up in the British structure.
“Shaun wasn’t built in a system. He was built on an appreciation of space and his technical ability. He caught my eye straight away.
“He looked different to what was around him. When we started working together at Wigan I realised he was a deep thinker. He had incredibly high standards and was someone who was ready to mature.
“Moving to Aston Villa opened up his mentality and from that point on you could see an elite brain in his career.
“He is a very important coach who can help any young player who goes through a similar process. He has real dedication.
“Shaun is enjoying his role. He is someone I really admire in terms of his intelligence and the way he goes about it.
“He has been involved in six games now and his contribution has been very positive.
“Shaun’s passion for the game is fantastic. He was born with that passion for playing and the best thing after you stop playing is to coach. Shaun has a great mind for detail. He is natural on the training ground and has a kind feeling for all the players.
“Over the course of his career he has developed an incredible understanding of how a footballer’s brain goes through different situations.
“He understands what it’s like
to go away from your comfort zone and play in international football. The big advantage for Shaun is he has already done it. His debut was against Scotland.
“It’s easier now for him to focus on his role and be very professional. He can do his job without thinking about the emotional side of facing the nation he played for.” Maloney will be in the unusual position of trying to beat Scotland but Martinez pointed to the man he replaced as an example of how to deal with divided loyalties.
Henry was up against France in the World Cup semi-final in the summer and Martinez said: “The personal side doesn’t come up until after the game.
“Thierry is an iconic figure for France. We have had different situations where many members of the staff have had to face their original nation.
“It comes down to being very focused on your role and just helping the players try to win a football game.
“But Shaun has been such a professional throughout his career. He has the kind of brain that allows him to focus.”
Martinez is confident Dedryck Boyata won’t allow transfer speculation to affect his performances when he returns from his cup final injury and the window opens next month.
The defender endured a summer saga surrounding his future and interest is hotting up with his Parkhead deal up at the end of the season.
Martinez said: “It was very challenging for Dedryck in the summer. Remember that players are allowed go through these situations where, as a human being, you think about possible options for the future.
“That was a period when Dedryck grew quickly. He has an incredible maturity and big role. He really impressed me before the World Cup in terms of dealing with what was being expected by the whole nation.
“That is the reason he started the World Cup games. He has a real capability of listening and taking things on board. Then he goes out as a real competitor.
“It’s been great to see him performing the way he is this season. All you want is that whatever happens with a contract doesn’t affect you on a football pitch.
“Dedryck has performed in a very strong manner and will continue to do so whatever the situation is.”