Latest news with #McManus
Daily Record
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Stephen McManus identifies sizzling Celtic prospect destined for the top as B team boss makes a candid admission
Big Mick is convinced the next generation of stars are ready to break through at Parkhead Every Celtic youngster dreams of following in the footsteps of poster Bhoys James Forrest, Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney. But Stephen McManus knows better than most that only a handful will ever make it all the way. Now B team boss, the former Hoops captain is hellbent on streamlining the route from the youth set-up to the first-team. As an academy graduate himself, Big Mick is a shining example for the current crop learning their trade at Lennoxtown. The ex-defender rose through the ranks, captained Celts to title glory and led them into the last 16 of the Champions League. These days, it's his job to nurture the next generation of stars. And while the road to Brendan Rodgers' top team is anything but straightforward, McManus insists there will always be a pathway. He said: "Yeah, listen, that's what pre-season is for as well. This is my fourth year with the B team and we've been really lucky that over the last three years, we've got boys that have played, after under-18s, they've played 150 games. "They've played 50-odd games a season, which after under-18s, you don't always get. We're lucky that we've got that. "Like I say, our job is to try and prepare the boys for first-team football. Hopefully, it's here. Absolutely. "We've been lucky this year, I think. Francis Turley made his debut this year. Jude Bonner made his debut this year. Sean McArdle came on and made his debut towards the end of the season. "And then you've got the boys that have been out on loan as well. You've got Ben Summers, Matthew Andersons as well. "So it's been a really productive season again for us. But ultimately, we want to make sure we try and do our best to help the manager and the first-team staff to be able to say, 'Right, these are what we've got. Are they ready to fit into the first-team squad?' "That's what pre-season is for. As a young player, you get an opportunity. You'll get an opportunity, whether it's in pre-season or every day that you come to work, every day that you're then performing for your club, whether you're at the football club or you're at somebody else on loan. "So it's difficult. It's difficult, of course it is. That's why the people that come through are so limited. "But when you look at the success that we've had with boys that are playing football at other clubs, it's great." With Greg Taylor vacating the No.3 jersey, there could soon be an opportunity for a homegrown talent to step up. Returning hero Tierney will reclaim his place at left-back - but his injury record means Rodgers will need to manage his minutes carefully. Rising star Matthew Anderson is among the most highly-rated emerging talents at Lennoxtown. Dubbed 'the next KT' by coach Greig Robertson, the defender spent last season on loan in Austria with feeder club Admira Wacker. Now 21, this summer could prove to be make-or-break. McManus said: "He's got a massive future in the game, absolutely massive. He's a terrific boy with a brilliant family, and again, you can only stay with us, with the B team, for a couple of seasons. "Matthew outgrew the B team two years ago. That's why he's not played for the B team. That's why the next stage of his development was to go out and loan. "Some people make their debut at 16 and then go and play for the rest of their careers. Some people are 21, 20, they need to go a different route. That's fine, that's fine. "But what you need to do is, when you get an opportunity, you need to try and become a football player, and that's what Matthew's done. "He's a terrific boy, terrific worker for a terrific family, and he'll be a top player. He'll be a top player." For aspiring players, there are few better role models than Forrest, McGregor and Tierney. Forrest recently overtook Lisbon Lion Bobby Lennox to become Celtic's most decorated player, with 26 trophies to his name. Skipper McGregor - whose own breakthrough came via a loan to Notts County - is only two major honours behind. And Tierney famously banked the club a record £25million fee in 2019, only to return on a free six years later. Speaking to promote next month's friendly clash with Newcastle United at Parkhead, McManus added: "You need that here, where it's so important that people can relate. The boys that have been here, that have done it. "I've spoken about this before, but when I look back over 20-odd years, boys that have come through the football club, you want them making an impact. "Making an impact is not just playing now and again. You want to contribute. You want to play five games. You want to play 50 games. You want to play 100 games. You want to play in the first team. "You need people that have done it, basically, just to prove, listen, if they can do it, there's no reason why the other boys can't do it. "That's where Kieran falls into it, Callum falls into it, and James falls into it. It's great, but it's a hard slog. "Of course it is, but you need the right types of people that are leading the football club, and that's what we've got here at the moment."
Scotsman
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Celtic land 'massive bonus' with latest transfer deal
McManus sees more than just a left-back with return of Tierney to Celtic Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It's not often a Scottish football club lands the complete package football signing for free, but there is a strong argument for such a scenario in the case of Celtic and Kieran Tierney. The Scotland defender's return to Celtic, six years after leaving for Arsenal, was confirmed on Tuesday afternoon. Tierney has penned a five-year contract with his boyhood club and his return has been warmly welcomed by all of a Celtic persuasion. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The left-back won his 50th cap for Scotland against Iceland earlier this month and comes back to Glasgow with experience of the English Premier League with the Gunners, plus a season on loan with Real Sociedad in La Liga. He is comfortable playing as a centre-half these days and, as Celtic B coach Stephen McManus points out, has plenty of miles left to put on the clock. Kieran Tierney has returned to Celtic on a five-year deal. | SNS Group 'Listen, it's massive,' McManus said of Tierney's homecoming. 'The biggest thing is the age that he's at, coming back. It's not as if he's coming back with two years to go within his career. He's still got his full career ahead of him, which is great. You look at the knowledge that he's then gained, being at Arsenal, being away, playing in major tournaments now for Scotland as well. I think it's brilliant. I think it's really, really good. The fact that he's coming and hopefully he's got a good few years ahead of him. He can stay fit and he can bring his personality and his quality to not just the football team, but to the whole football club.' McManus – a true leader in the Celtic teams he played in and now a coach of youngsters – knows a thing or two about setting examples. He believes the influence Tierney can have on the dressing-room as well as on the pitch is just as important to manager Brendan Rodgers. 'It's probably one of the biggest things once you become that kind of experienced player,' continued McManus, speaking to promote Celtic's friendly with Newcastle United next month. 'When you're young and you're developing and you're playing, you play with no fear, but then the older you get, you start to then take interest in a lot more of what goes on around the football club. How you conduct yourself on the pitch, how you conduct yourself off the pitch, especially a club like here, it becomes really important. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A Celtic captain-in-waiting 'You can see that with Callum [McGregor], you can see that with James [Forrest], the ones that have come through the academy structure here for a long period of time. They're very similar in their personalities and that's really important. Kieran's going to then bring that as well. Again, he's younger than the other two boys, so it's going to be a massive, massive bonus not just for the football club, but also for the national team as well.' McManus accepts the notion that Celtic have another captain-in-waiting in Tierney. 'You never know what's around the corner,' he said. 'I think if Callum doesn't play for whatever reason, there's somebody that's got the personality, he's got the profile, he's got the ability. But like I said, it's just a brilliant signing for the football club because he brings so much on the pitch and so much off the pitch. 'You need people that know the football club to take it on to the next level because you're always educating the next ones that then come. But first and foremost, Kieran's a top, top footballer. He's not coming back because he's a Celtic fan. I think that's important as well. He's coming back because he's a top, top footballer and he's going to bring his experiences, his knowledge and his qualities so that he can then help our football club move forward.' Even at the relatively tender age of 28, Tierney is now the fourth oldest player in the current squad. 'Your job once you become an experienced player is to educate the younger ones and that's when you speak of the business model of the football club,' added McManus. 'What's the recruitment strategy? What does it look like? So Kieran fits that bill because, again, he knows the club but he's a fantastic footballer and his best years are still ahead of him.
The National
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The National
The 'most important' part of Stephen McManus' Celtic role
The 42-year-old has been in charge of the club's second team for three seasons. McManus led the youngsters to a second-place finish in the Lowland League, Scotland's fifth tier, last term. Read more: Recently speaking to the media to preview the first team's friendly with Newcastle United next month, the Scot, former club captain, was quizzed on what his key focus is in his B team role: "It always remains the same," he said. "Our job is to try and develop young players to get them into our first team. It never changes. "For us, it's not results on the paramount. They're not the most important thing. That's what the manager and the first team staff has. "Our job is to develop young players to try and get them ready for first team football. Hopefully it's in our first team or it's somebody else's first team. That's what we try and do. "We try and bridge the gap. The biggest jump in our football club is between the first team and the B team. There's absolutely no doubt. "So our job is to try and develop the players. Again, we trust experiences that we've had the benefit. For us, we've been that young player."
Newsweek
12-06-2025
- General
- Newsweek
Cat Returned to Shelter for Being Too Needy—Then Everything Changed
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A 7-year-old cat named Art has finally found his forever home after being returned to shelter for being "too needy." Art first arrived at the shelter in California after being found alone in Altadena following the Eaton Fire in January, a spokesperson for the Pasadena Humane, Kevin McManus, told Newsweek. "We suspected that he was an outdoor community cat, but no one came forward to reclaim him. While he was here, he interacted with our volunteers positively, but would occasionally give indications that he was a little nervous with people," McManus said. Art was eventually adopted by an experienced cat owner seeking a chilled-out lap companion, and although the cat did show his sweet side to her, she couldn't deal with his behavior when overstimulated, and decided to take him back to shelter. "He would sometimes play bite or swat at the adopter. She was concerned that she was not the right person for him, and, quite frankly, this was a wise decision as he ultimately (accidentally) bit her to the point of drawing blood," McManus said. So Pasadena Humane took to Facebook to help Art find a better match for his affectionate and playful energy. "If you're looking for a Velcro kitty who always wants to be the center of attention (and will show off his perfectly fluffy belly to make sure that happens), seven-year-old Art is probably the cat for you!" Pasadena Humane said in a post shared on Friday. After the message went viral, Art the cat was quickly adopted by another very experienced family looking to add a new feline to their home. "[They] had a feisty cat previously, so his behavior did not faze them," McManus said. While Art was lucky enough to find a family willing to give him a chance, for many other felines in shelter things don't always go this way. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says that, of the 2.9 million cats that entered U.S. shelters in 2024, about 2.2 million were adopted, 362,000 were returned to their owner or the field, 369,000 were transferred to other organizations, and 273,000 were euthanized. The majority of animals in shelter, about 60 percent, enter as stray; however, almost 30 percent are surrendered by owners who can no longer care for them. An image shared by Pasadena Humane shows Art lying on a bed of towels. An image shared by Pasadena Humane shows Art lying on a bed of towels. @pasadenahumane The video quickly went viral on social media and has so far received over 21,000 likes and 1,900 comments on the platform. One user, Myra Austin Cochran, commented: "Who turns in a cat for 'being too needy?" Lakin Danielle Sizemore posted: "How could a person return him for being too needy? THEY ARE NOT A TRUE CAT PERSON! Because … I beg for my cats to come snuggle with me and they ignore me." Tina Banks added: "A pet that loves you, and loves to be near you and show affection? how hard that must have been for them. Maybe they should just get a pet rock instead." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Latest: Protests over immigration raids spread across the US
Protests against immigration enforcement raids have sprung up across the country from Seattle and Austin to Chicago and Washington, D.C. While many have been peaceful, some have resulted in clashes with law enforcement. More protests are planned nationwide this week. Here's the latest: Mexican president to discuss Kristi Noem's comments accusing her of inciting violence Claudia Sheinbaum said she would discuss the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary's accusation with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Wednesday as he visits Mexico. She rejected Noem's comments as 'completely false' the day before, publishing a video of her in her morning press briefing calling for Mexicans to act in peace in the Los Angeles protests. Sheinbaum added more details Wednesday — claiming her opponents had 'completely taken out of context' her previous comments suggesting that Mexicans could protest a tax on remittances proposed by Trump. 'We have never called for a violent demonstration,' she said. 'We are against all violent acts. We've always supported peaceful protests.' San Antonio Mayor says city officials did not ask for the Texas National Guard to be deployed Mayor Ron Nirenberg said city officials did not ask for the Texas National Guard to be deployed to the city ahead of planned protests Wednesday night and Saturday. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's office said Tuesday night that National Guard troops were 'on standby' in areas where demonstrations are planned. That came came after police in Austin used chemical irritants to disperse several hundred demonstrators Monday near the state Capitol. Wednesday night's protest in San Antonio are scheduled to be near the Alamo, in the heart of the city's downtown. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said he has not been told by either the governor's office or the guard how many troops would be in the city, where they would be positioned or what they will be doing. The governor's office has not publicly released those details. McManus said the city police are ready to handle any security issues with the demonstration. 'We are prepared for a peaceful demonstration, but we are also prepared if something goes south and it turns violent,' McManus said. Immigrant communities are rattled Immigration raids across Southern California are rattling the area's immigrant communities, even among those in the country legally. More than 100 people have been detained since Friday. In Orange County, a day laborer said he started carrying his green card everywhere. And during a news conference Monday, the family members of detained workers in Los Angeles urged officials to uphold the city and the state of California as places of sanctuary for immigrants. ▶Read more about how the raids are affecting immigrant families Protests over immigration raids pop up across the US with more planned Protests that started in Los Angeles have begun to spread across the country, with more planned into the weekend. California National Guard are positioned at the Federal Building on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in downtown Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) From Seattle and Austin to Chicago and Washington, D.C., marchers have chanted slogans, carried signs against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and snarled traffic through downtown avenues and outside federal offices. While many have been peaceful, some have resulted in clashes with law enforcement as officers made arrests and used chemical irritants to disperse crowds Activists are planning more and even larger demonstrations in the coming days, with 'No Kings' events across the country on Saturday to coincide with Trump's planned military parade through Washington. The Trump administration said it would continue its program of raids and deportations despite the protests. 'ICE will continue to enforce the law,' Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted Tuesday on social media. ▶ Read more about some of the other protests across the country Trump says he's open to using Insurrection Act Trump left open the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, which authorizes the president to deploy military forces inside the U.S. to suppress rebellion or domestic violence or to enforce the law in certain situations. It's one of the most extreme emergency powers available to a U.S. president. 'If there's an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We'll see,' he said from the Oval Office. Later the president called protesters 'animals' and 'a foreign enemy' in a speech at Fort Bragg ostensibly to recognize the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. Trump has described Los Angeles in dire terms that Bass and Newsom say are nowhere close to the truth. In a public address Tuesday evening, Newsom called Trump's actions the start of an 'assault' on democracy. Newsom warned people against inciting violence, but urged them to stand up to the president's actions. LA police swiftly enforce downtown curfew as protests against Trump's immigration crackdown continue Los Angeles police swiftly enforced a downtown curfew, making arrests moments after it took effect, while deploying officers on horseback and using crowd control projectiles to break up a group of hundreds of demonstrators. Members of the National Guard stood watch behind plastic shields, but did not appear to participate in the arrests Tuesday night. Hours later, many of the protesters had dispersed, although sporadic confrontations continued that were much smaller than in previous nights. The demonstrations have been mostly concentrated downtown and the curfew covers a 1-square-mile (2.5-square-kilometer) section that includes an area where protests have occurred since Friday in the sprawling city of 4 million. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom asked a court to put an emergency stop to the military helping federal immigration agents, with some guardsmen now standing in protection around agents as they carried out arrests. He said it would only heighten tensions and promote civil unrest. The judge set a hearing for Thursday, giving the administration several days to continue those activities. ▶ Read more about Tuesday night's protests
