Former Celtic defender Gary Caldwell has been confirmed as the Newcastle United U23 manager. The defender, who made 150 appearances for Celtic between 2006 and 2010, has been out of work since leaving Partick Thistle in 2019.
The 39-year-old came through the Newcastle Academy from 2001-2004 before making a permanent switch to Hibs in 2004. Following his success at Easter Road, the player was signed on a free transfer by Gordon Strachan at Celtic.
🤝 #NUFC have appointed Gary Caldwell as the club’s interim U23 lead development coach following the departure of Chris Hogg.
Gary came through the Magpies’ youth set-up between 97-01 and will re-join the club on a short-term basis.
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— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) August 16, 2021
Caldwell comes with experience having held roles at Chesterfield and Wigan Atheltic as well as Thistle. As a player, he made 55 appearances for Scotland, scoring twice. The deal appears to be a short-term role with the Stirling-born defender looking to get himself back into coaching after a stint doing media work.
Caldwell was a decent player for Celtic, winning four trophies during his four years at the club, including two titles, one League Cup and one Scottish Cup. In the 2008-09 season, he won a number of personal accolades for his individual performances for Celtic and Scotland.