Celtic have strengthened their backroom staff by appointing Ross Grant as set-piece coach, poaching the specialist from Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts.
The Scottish champions pipped Hearts to the league title on the final day of the 2025/26 campaign, making Grant’s switch across the divide all the more significant for supporters.
Grant, a boyhood Celtic fan, will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to Martin O’Neill’s coaching setup at Parkhead this season.
The club confirmed in their official statement that Grant will have a “particular focus on set-piece analysis and coaching” in his new role with the Hoops.
His arrival comes shortly after fresh contracts were agreed with backroom staff members Shaun Maloney, Mark Fotheringham and Stephen McManus, with Fotheringham understood to have played a key role in identifying Grant as a target.
Grant holds a UEFA ‘A’ Licence and previously worked for Dundee United before moving to Tynecastle ahead of last season, where he served as Hearts’ first-ever dedicated set-play coach.
The numbers he produced at Hearts were impossible to ignore, with the Edinburgh club scoring a joint-league-high 23 set-piece goals in the Premiership last season.
Despite winning both the league title and Scottish Cup, Celtic were widely noted to have struggled in front of goal from attacking corners, and Grant’s appointment directly addresses that concern.
O’Neill expressed his delight at securing the appointment, telling the club’s website: “I am really pleased to welcome Ross to our backroom staff, I know he is a highly rated coach and look forward to working with him.”
Hearts confirmed the departure of Grant with a brief statement acknowledging his contributions, which read: “We can confirm that Ross Grant has departed to take up a position at Celtic. The club thanks Ross for his contributions during his stint at Tynecastle.”
Celtic’s decision to recruit a specialist in this area signals a clear intent from O’Neill to fine-tune every aspect of his squad’s performance as they look to defend their Premiership title next campaign.
Grant’s experience in “set piece analysis, coaching and player development,” as noted by Celtic in their announcement, makes him a valuable addition to what is already a well-stocked coaching team at Parkhead.
