Celtic play their Shaun Maloney card

Celtic made the highly unusual step of bringing in Shaun Maloney to promote Charity work with Motor Neurone Disease Scotland.

Supporting, partnering and promoting a charity is standard work at football clubs but not many call in their Professional Player Pathway Manager for the task.

Celtic appointed Maloney for that role on June 25 with only a website statement announcing the job, since then the former Scotland forward hasn’t said a single word about his role which revolves around putting players on loan at clubs that will assist their development.

The new Co-operation Loans brought in by the SFA allows Celtic to place three players at clubs in The Championship, League One and League Two.

So far an agreement has been reached with Ayr United who have Jude Bonnar and Kyle Ure on loan at Somerset Park with a third place unfilled.

No deals have been agreed with clubs in League One or League Two which means that players such as Francis Turley and Sean McArdle are stuck in the Lowland League playing against clubs such as Linlithgow Rose, Tranent, Civil Service Strollers and Cumbernauld Colts.

After being part of Roberto Martinez’s coaching team for the Belgian national side and managing Wigan Athletic last season it seems that being in charge of Celtic loaning players out is a big step down for Maloney unless there is a master-plan in place for a more senior role.

Scotland’s Motor Neurone Disease charity, @MNDScotland, today hosted a free, interactive and educational local research event at Celtic Park.
Read more below ⤵️#CelticFC🍀
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) September 11, 2025

On Thursday afternoon the Celtic website reported.

Former Celtic player and the club’s Professional Player Pathway Manager, Shaun Maloney, who today met representatives of MND Scotland and those affected by MND said.

“I was delighted to meet so many great people at today’s event,” he said. “When I played at Celtic, I remember meeting the great Jimmy Johnstone many times as he fought this very cruel illness, and as with Jinky, the bravery shown by people today fighting this illness is quite inspirational.

“I know that everyone at the club is passionate about helping those affected by MND and I hope today’s event is really influential in raising further awareness and offering support to all those in Scotland affected by this terrible disease.”

The usual procedure for charity promotions is to use a first team player which ensures publicity and attention, last October Luke McCowan promoted Guide Dogs Scotland for an event that saw some players go onto the pitch with a Guide Dog.

After Saturday’s horrific club statement blaming everyone except themselves for the failings in the transfer market Celtic are very wary in their use of social media.

Everything on Twitter is being met with calls to SACK THE BOARD and images of Peter Lawwell, Michael Nicholson and Dermot Desmond with red marks across their faces.

With the 12th man protest at Kilmarnock the first direct action against the club there is a genuine mobilisation against the club board that is unprecedented.

Over 98% of fans in a poll that attracted almost 39,000 replies want to see Lawwell, Nicholson and Chris McKay removed from their jobs.

With the club refusing to comment the protest group has an open goal to aim at with stunts like putting up Maloney to promote charity not helping the present levels of unrest.

NOTE: On September 10 Celtic made no comment or social media post on the 40th anniversary of Jock Stein’s death.

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