Source: Team_Talk
Pressley would relish Celtic role
The 35-year-old Falkirk defender is calling time on his 19-year playing career and wants to go straight into full-time coaching.[LNB]Pressley, who won the double with Celtic in 2007 during an 18-month spell there, believes he is ready to walk straight into a big job, including working under Gordon Strachan's successor at Parkhead.[LNB]He said: "It's a very attractive proposition and if the opportunity came around to assist somebody at Celtic then of course I'd be very interested.[LNB]"I feel confident in my own ability to do that type of job and if the right man comes along that needs assistance then hopefully I'll be that man."[LNB]Pressley is already an assistant to Scotland boss George Burley and has been studying for his UEFA Pro Licence for the past year.[LNB]So self-confident is he, the former Hearts captain would even have no fears about taking over the managerial reins at the likes of Aberdeen and Hibernian.[LNB]"I believe that I'm ready for management but I'm not ruling anything out," said Pressley, before conceding his eight-year spell at Tynecastle would probably prevent him becoming Hibs boss.[LNB]"If the right coaching opportunity came along then I'd definitely be interested.[LNB]"But, at this moment in time, I have a belief in my own ability to manage or coach and I'll definitely consider any opportunity.[LNB]"I've got my own ideas about how a club should function and a team should function and I do genuinely believe that I'm ready to take on that type of responsibility."[LNB]Pressley, who insisted he had not applied for any job, was more coy about the prospect of taking over at Falkirk should John Hughes leave this summer.[LNB]He said: "The one thing for sure is that I have a great deal of respect for John as a person and as a manager and to comment on his position would be wrong."[LNB]Pressley has been preparing for a move into management for some time, revealing he had reached the decision to retire "several months ago".[LNB]He added: "To be honest, it was a relatively easy decision for myself and that's why I knew it was the correct time.[LNB]"My involvement with the national team, my involvement in the UEFA Pro Licence has certainly whetted my appetite.[LNB]"I'm far more motivated by that than the playing of the game.[LNB]"And also, physically, I felt that I could no longer produce the types of performances that I expect of myself and I just thought it was the right time in my career to close that book and start another chapter."[LNB]Pressley started his senior career at Rangers in 1990 and went on to play for Coventry and Dundee United before joining Hearts in 1998.[LNB]It was at Tynecastle where he made the most impact, spending eight years there and becoming club captain.[LNB]After lifting the Scottish Cup in 2006, he left controversially at the end of that year when he and team-mates Craig Gordon and Paul Hartley publicly criticised majority shareholder Vladmir Romanov.[LNB]After his spell at Celtic, Pressley had a four-month stint at Danish side Randers late last year, which was followed by a return to Scotland with Falkirk, who he helped avoid SPL relegation this season.[LNB]Pressley also earned 32 Scotland caps between 2000 and 2006.[LNB]Asked about his career highs and lows, he said: "Once you finish playing, I don't believe there are any low points. I think former players never tend to have bad games, do they?[LNB]"In their own minds, they never made mistakes.[LNB]"All my experiences very much helped me as a person and developed me as a person and I've been very fortunate to be in that type of environment.[LNB]"Highs? Possibly the highlight was leading Hearts to the Scottish Cup in 2006.[LNB]"With my association with the club at that time, I think that it was a truly memorable moment for myself."[LNB]Pressley believes his taking a stand against Romanov three years ago showed he would have what it takes to be a manager.[LNB]"I found myself at Hearts managing many situations that I think has certainly benefited me," he said.[LNB]"As a person, I've always had very high morals and very high values.[LNB]"I've grown to understand people over the course of my career and I think all these factors, along with the tactical aspects, have made me very keen to be involved in coaching and management."[LNB][LNB]
