Exclusive:'I’ve had offers': Celtic icon addresses 1,696 day exile and names Scotland heroes he wish he'd played with
The former Celtic midfielder opened up on his spell away from management.
Former Celtic icon Paul Lambert admits he is unlikely to make a return to management anytime soon, as he opened up on his near five-year spell away from the dugout and his exciting new position at German powerhouse Borussia Dortmund.
A serial trophy winner during his time as a player, the 56-year-old lifted eight trophies during his spell with Celtic, and continued to find success in the early days of his managerial career. Winning EFL League One with Norwich City back in 2010, Lambert led the Canaries to back-to-back promotion after finishing second upon the club’s return to the English second-tier.
A managerial veteran of over 600 games, his career began at Livingston in 2005, before he went on to manage the likes of Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, and Wolverhampton Wanderers. However, after a less-than-successful spell with Ipswich Town, he has not been involved in management since he departed Portman Road in March 2021, a total of 1,696 days ago.
Now working with former club Borussia Dortmund, where he spent two seasons as a player and won the Champions League in 1997, the 56-year-old re-joined the German outfit in January as the club’s Technical Director of Southeast Asia, where he is tasked with accelerating youth initiatives, forging partnerships, and providing coaching expertise to nurture talents on and off the pitch.
“I’ve had offers to go back into management that I declined,” said Lambert. “I really enjoy my role with Borussia Dortmund as Technical Director of Southeast Asia. I really enjoy the unique philosophy of Dortmund and the values of the club. At this moment, I enjoy working for the club where I have had a lot of success. I also like the structure here in Australia and love being back at Dortmund.”
Part of the last Scotland squad to go the World Cup in 1998, the 40-cap midfielder was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2009, and is hopeful that Steve Clarke’s team can end their 28-year exile from the tournament, as he named one Hampden Park hero from the modern day era that he wished he’d been able to play with during his career.
“It’s very difficult to compare eras,” Lambert told Betway.. I played with some world-class players, but I think Andy Robertson would have been really good to play with. Callum McGregor would’ve been good, too. Obviously, Callum doesn’t play for Scotland anymore. You always want to play beside good players, but if I were to pick one from the Scotland team, it would be Andy because of the way he plays.”
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