Craig learned under the game’s best
Craig Beattie hung up his boots last month after 17 years in the game at clubs such as Celtic, West Brom, Swansea and Dundee.
The former Scotland striker is now planning on getting back into football on the coaching and management side.
He plans to leave no stone unturned and will do his due diligence. He also has the benefit of being able to tap into advice and guidance from top operators such as Brendan Rodgers, Martin O’Neill and Gordon Strachan.
But he is keen to learn from the new generation of gaffers and that’s why he was thrilled to get the opportunity to shadow Joey Barton at Fleetwood Town last week.
Beattie told The Sunday Post: “I’m looking to get into management and I just want to keep all my options open. At the moment I have my B Licence and I’m looking to get started on my A Licence.
“During my spell at Edinburgh City, I was the assistant manager and could have continued in that role, but I wanted to carry on playing and that’s why I chose to go to Elgin.
“But I’ve now decided to hang up my boots and I’m comfortable with that decision. I’ve had my career and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m not actively looking to play again and that’s why my focus is on coaching and management.
“At the moment, I’m into learning as much as I can about the other side if the game.
“For example, I spent a few days in the past week down at Fleetwood Town. I used to play with Clint Hill at Crystal Palace and he sorted out a visit for me as he is assistant boss to Joey Barton. I also know Stephen Crainey and he coaches there.
“There is a very professional set-up at Fleetwood and they are geared towards moving up a league and into the English Championship. They are investing and doing all they can to achieve that.
“I was impressed with the way all of the staff went about their business, from the Academy level right up to the first team. I listened to one or two of the talks Joey Barton delivered to his squad and it was all good stuff, very enlightening.
“He is clearly an intelligent man, but what also struck me was his love for the game. He is so passionate about it and just wants to do his best.
“Brendan Rodgers is the same and he has delivered unbelievable success to Celtic.
“He was my manager when I played for Swansea, and I’m in the fortunate position that he will take my call if I need advice from him. I’ve been on the phone to him and he had me up at Lennoxtown for a chat. It was greatly appreciated.”
If and when an opportunity arises, Beattie, 35, has a view on the style he’d like to implement and said: “There are clear differences in being a manager and being a head coach.
“Ultimately, of course, it all comes down the same thing and that is winning as many games of football as you can.
“We can all see that the business is very unforgiving now and managers may well be out of a job if they lose three games in a row.
“But that doesn’t put me off. Football is what I know and I want to try the next stage.
“I’d probably prefer to be a ‘Manager’. By that I mean I wouldn’t want to be in the faces of the players every minute of the day on the training ground. I think if players are hearing your voice all the time then you run the risk of them switching off and that means you drown out the detail.
“So, I’d like to have a really good coach working with me, someone I can trust and who will put on top sessions for the squad.
“When Martin O’Neill managed Celtic he put most of the day-to-day trust in his backroom men, John Robertson and Steve Walford, to coach and deal with the players.
“Martin would then show up out of the blue and the players raised the standard that wee bit. I like the idea of that ‘shock factor’ every now again.
“Gordon Strachan, on the other hand, was there every day and hands-on in every single training session.
“For me, Martin and Gordon were both excellent in different ways and I’d probably look to find a balance between their two styles.
“If I could deliver a tenth of what they delivered as successful managers then I wouldn’t complain.”