From Silent Assassin to Silver-Maned Surprise: Brian McClair Stuns Old Pals

There was a time when Brian McClair did his best work without fuss or fanfare. But at 61, the former Manchester United and Celtic forward is turning heads in a very different way. With a flowing white mane and a beard to match, Choccy showed up in the Celtic dugout for a September legends game against United looking more folk-rock frontman than penalty-box predator — and even his old mates struggled to twig it was him.

The ultimate team man becomes the ultimate disguise

McClair was Sir Alex Ferguson’s paradox: hailed as one of his most underrated lieutenants yet ribbed as a poor trainer. On the pitch, he was the glue guy — the selfless foil for the likes of Ryan Giggs and Eric Cantona — a clever mover who made room for the headline acts. Off it, he’s now proof that football’s great chameleons can still reinvent themselves. The new look? Let’s just say it’s a long way from the short-back-and-sides of the early Premier League era.

Berbatov and Saha do a double take

At the charity clash, McClair’s transformation was so complete that a couple of United favourites needed a second look. Dimitar Berbatov and Louis Saha initially breezed by, then circled back with sheepish smiles as the penny dropped. No malice, just the shock of seeing a familiar face behind a seafarer’s silhouette. McClair, as ever, took it with a grin.

Celtic edge it on pens as the old stars roll back the years

On the pitch, the entertainment matched the nostalgia. After a 2-2 draw in normal time, the Celtic legends took it on penalties. McClair marshalled a cast of ex-Celts featuring the likes of Joe Hart, Artur Boruc and Georgios Samaras, while Bryan Robson led a United side sprinkled with midfield brains and old-school grit: Michael Carrick, Nicky Butt and Wes Brown among them.

Why didn’t McClair try the big chair?

Watching him marshal the touchline, you can’t help but wonder why McClair never fully jumped into management. He had a taste — assistant at Blackburn Rovers back in 1998–99 — and then did sterling work shaping the next generation as Manchester United’s academy director from 2006 to 2015. Perhaps the lure of developing talent suited his nature: less limelight, more substance. Either way, the instincts are still there; he reads a game as shrewdly as he did ghost into the box.

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From poacher to cult-figure charisma

McClair’s latest chapter is joyfully on-brand for a player who always let others chase the spotlight. Now he’s got a look that would stop traffic on Deansgate, yet it’s still the same sharp football mind beneath the silver locks. And if a couple of ex-team-mates need a nudge before saying hello? That’s half the fun. Celtic get the bragging rights; McClair gets folk-hero status. Not a bad day’s work for United’s most incognito icon.