John McGlynn looking to take Celtic starlet to Falkirk

Celtic B’s Alisdair Davidson is attracting interest from newly promoted Scottish Premiership side Falkirk, managed by former Celtic scout John McGlynn who last weekend beat Brendan Rodgers to the PFA Scotland Manager of the Year award…

PFA Scotland Manager of the Year John McGlynn. Photo PFA Scotland

The 19-year-old left-sided defender is expected to depart Celtic at the end of the season and has caught the eye of Scottish Championship winning boss John McGlynn, who has been scouting him recently.

The left-back featured 10 times across all competitions for Stephen McManus’ B team, with nine outings in the Lowland League and a brief appearance in the UEFA Youth League during a 3-2 home victory over German outfit RB Leipzig.

🆕🍀 Defender, Alasdair Davidson joins the other nine new professional signings at the #CelticFC Academy!

🔗 https://t.co/g5BVN9TR22 pic.twitter.com/dNqdhEk6pz

— Celtic FC Academy (@CelticFCAcademy) July 5, 2022

The Celtic Star reported last week that Davidson, along with goalkeeper Joe Morrison, winger Lewis Dobbie and forward Daniel Cummings is expected to depart the club this summer when their contracts expire. Davidson is reportedly seeking greater first-team opportunities which looks increasingly unlikely to come at the Scottish champions, while John McGlynn is aiming to bolster his squad ahead of the new season.

John McGlynn, Manager of Falkirk, reacts prior to the Scottish Cup Semi Final between Falkirk and Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Hampden Park on April 29, 2023. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Since leaving Raith Rovers in 2022, the 63-year-old manager has guided Falkirk to consecutive promotions, taking them from League One to the Scottish Premiership in just two seasons.

McGlynn has been linked with vacant Hearts job

McGlynn has laudably been mentioned as a potential candidate for the vacant Hearts position after Neil Critchley was sacked last month due to a series of disappointing results. A familiar face at the club, McGlynn previously managed the Jambos from 2012 to 2013 before parting ways by mutual consent.

Falkirk manager John McGlynn during the Premier Sports Cup Quarter Final between Celtic and Falkirk at Celtic Park on September 22, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Later that year, he joined Livingston before transitioning into a first-team scout at Celtic during Ronny Deila and Brendan Rodgers’ tenures. He then returned to Raith Rovers in September 2018.

McGlynn named the 2024/2025 PFA Scotland Manager of the Year

McGlynn was recently named the 2024/2025 PFA Scotland Manager of the Year, edging out Brendan Rodgers and Hibernian’s David Gray for the honour. He has also been nominated for SWFA’s Manager of the Year, alongside Rodgers, Gray, and Aberdeen’s Jimmy Thelin.

Conor Spence

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