Source: FOOTYMAD
Mature Mulgrew Taking His Second Chance
It is not often you get a second chance once you have left an Old Firm team. Celtic's new signing Charlie Mulgrew says he has grown as a person and a player since he was last based a Parkhead four years ago. After failing to get his chance at first-team level under then manager Gordon Strachan the former Hoops' youth player took a chance to move to Wolves, following a successful loan spell at Dundee United. Things did not work out as he expected down south and he returned north of the border to Aberdeen in 2008. With his Dons deal ending in the summer, Parkhead manager Neil Lennon was on hand to offer the left back a three-year deal and a return to his boyhood heroes. Mulgrew denied there was a clash of personalities with Strachan but claimed that personal development makes him better placed to take advantage of a rare second chance at Celtic. He said: "At the time things weren't working here under that manager and it was time to move on. I wouldn't say it was a personal situation, the relationship was fine, it was for football reasons. Different managers have different opinions on players and maybe I wasn't his type of player at the time. Obviously you want to get chances coming through at a club and I was disappointed that I didn't get a proper chance but when I got the opportunity to move on I had to take it. I had to play games, that was the most important thing for me at that time. These things happen in football and you just have to move on and believe you can make a career for yourself and I was happy to do that at the time. It was a bit of a set back but as I said, you need to believe in yourself and be positive and look to the future. It's up to me now. I think I have matured as a person. It's maybe taken a couple of setbacks for me to be the person I am now. But I feel that I am definitely a better player and a better person as well." Mulgrew, noted for his dead-ball abilities, admits he thought his chance of playing first-team football for Celtic had gone when he moved to the midlands. The former Scotland Under-21 defender said: "To be fair, once I left Celtic I thought that was it. It's not very often a player comes back to a club like this but it was up to me to work hard, play the best I could and believe I could get back to this sort of level and I'm just delighted to be here I was pretty close (to signing for Sheffield United) to be honest but when this came calling there was no doubt where I was going. It's good to be back. It's been ongoing for a couple of weeks now and I'm happy to be back. Growing up a Celtic fan it was a dream move and I'm delighted. With a club the size of Celtic it's always going to be tough and you need to prove yourself every single day. I prefer to play left back or left midfield and get forward but if I'm needed at centre back I'm more than willing to play there." Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba.net)Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba.net)This is Scottish-Fitba.Net
