Celtic have officially confirmed the exit of player pathway coach Darren O’Dea.
In early May, Swansea City launched a move for O’Dea to be their assistant manager alongside new boss Alan Sheehan.
Brendan Rodgers then held talks with O’Dea over the potential switch south to Wales, with the Celtic boss confirming the Irishman was keen to get back on the grass coaching.
Now, O’Dea has been announced as Swansea’s new assistant boss, and the former Celtic defender explained why the move felt right and the advice Rodgers gave him.
Celtic confirm O’Dea’s Swansea City switch
O’Dea spoke to the official Swansea City website and explained that it was ‘difficult’ to leave his boyhood club Celtic for the Welsh team.
However, he was excited by the project sold to him by Swansea and was keen to link up with Sheehan to be his assistant.
O’Dea revealed, “I am delighted. I knew of the interest, and I spoke with Alan a number of weeks ago.
“Obviously I have been with a club I have grown up in, so it was difficult to come to terms with the decision in terms of leaving, but once I spoke to him and had an insight into what the club is wanting to do, I wanted to join.
“I had a good understanding of the club anyway, but it’s a really exciting project, one I wanted to be a part of, and I am delighted it is done now.
“I would not have left Celtic unless it was for something I felt very strongly about. Of course, the club and its prestige and the intensity of it are something I am used to, and I wanted to work with and for Alan.
“You combine those two things and the conversations I have had with other people at the club who will be working with us, and it just fits. It’s something I am really happy to be part of.
“I think Alan and I are similar in terms of how we work and how we see things. He will be the one making the decisions, but I was clear I did not want to work in a way where I would sacrifice principles that I have got, and the conversations I had mean I know we are not going to be doing that.
“When the question came, it was a ‘yes.’”
What Rodgers told O’Dea about moving to Swansea City
Of course, current Celtic boss Rodgers was once manager of Swansea City and enjoyed a successful spell there that catapulted his career.
Rodgers spoke highly of the club to O’Dea, and that was ultimately a factor in why he chose to leave the Hoops.
O’Dea continued, “This club is similar to Celtic in that it has a real identity; it is not just enough to come in here and just win; there needs to be more. There needs to be a product on the pitch that the fans relate to.
“Speaking to Brendan, who has been brilliant in all this, he talked about the fan base having a big understanding of their football. He could not have spoken more highly of the club and the city and the DNA of the club.
“That is a really big driver in me wanting to come here; it’s really important to me.
“The guys here did a fantastic job over the final part of last season. I watched a number of games last season while I was at Celtic, as it was part of my responsibilities to be monitoring and watching football across Europe.
“I am well versed in what the team looks like and the players. I am looking forward to getting to know them.
“I cannot wait to get going; my family will be moving with me, and we will find somewhere to live. We want to make sure everything is set up, because we want to be able to make a fast start.
“We are fully concentrated on that, and we will go for it.”
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