New boss Diamond aims to dazzle in the dug-out
Zander Diamond took the reins at Lowland League outfit Broomhill this week.
With the club currently groundsharing with SPFL League One side Dumbarton, who recently achieved promotion to the third tier, the former no-nonsense defender admits it will be an emotional return when he gets into the home dug-out.
Ask the ex-Aberdeen rock about his beloved hometown and the prospect of leading Broomhill in the town and he is positively buzzing.
Diamond has been well mentored throughout his career – learning from some of the best around the British game – but he inists management, is about putting his own identity and all philosophy at the club.
He said: “It’s an emotional return to the stadium that you walk past and go in as a young boy as a Scottish internationalist at under-19s.
“I’ve not been back in a competitive environment since, so to be back in the dug-out 20 years later will be special.
“I know it’s Broomhill and not Dumbarton but it’s still got that emotional attachment to it. It’s an opportunity to go in with my staff and put my style of play across and implement it and get a young, energetic team on the park that reflects the coaching staff and how we like to play.
“You’ve got to have a personality and you’ve got to have good man management, I learned that in abundance from Jimmy Calderwood, Craig Brown, Steve Evans, Gary Rowett and Chris Wilder, there’s an array of managers there who have done well and have their personalities.
“It’s not about going out and copying that, it’s about coming across as Zander Diamond and showing my personality, that will bleed onto the team, I’m confident in my own ability – you have to be or you wouldn’t take the job on.
“The man-management side is important – it’s about who needs an arm around them and who needs a kick up the backside.
“I speak to Wales manager Rob Page regularly and the managers who do well are always good man-managers and getting the best out of individuals, forget about training sessions it’s about how you manage players.
“There’s a whole host of things that managers have said to me including not to go looking for problems as problems will come.
“If you keep a calm environment then that’s fine.
“Jim McLean once said if you accept mediocrity you’ll get it in return and that’s something I kind of looked at, you are going back to your yesteryear but it’s the same principles today.
“The thing I’ve learned from managers in the past is if your standards are right then the players will follow suit.”
With the season coming to an end, Diamond’s phone will be red-hot just now with recruitment, pre-season and tactics top on his priorities.
But next Sunday, the ex-Dons icon will return to the Granite City to play in the Craig Brown Cup in memory of the former Scotland and Aberdeen boss who sadly died last year.
All proceeds from the match will go towards Cash For Kids as a whole host of Aberdeen and Scotland legends will take to the field at Cove Rangers’s Balmoral Stadium with a 2pm kick-off with the likes of Russell Anderson, Kenny Miller and Eion Jess all set to feature.
Diamond is looking forward to returning to Aberdeen as he added: “I’m looking forward to going back to Aberdeen for a great man who helped me even when I went down to Oldham Athletic he gave me a glowing reference.
“Craig was great and gave you warmth and came into Aberdeen at a difficult time when Mark McGhee left, he was very approachable, his door was always open, his managerial career speaks for itself really.
“It will be a great day and hopefully win the game.”