CANADA interim head coach Michael Findlay never got to fulfil his dreams of playing for Celtic but reckons the lessons learned living with David Moyes set him up for life.
Findlay spent three years in Scotland as a teenager trying to win professional deals with both the Hoops and Partick Thistle.
He even boarded with Moyes' family on the outskirts of Glasgow during his Parkhead stint and has kept in touch with the Sunderland boss ever since.
The 53-year-old - whose parents Jim and Jenny hail originally from Dumfries - cherished the teachings he received during those formative days alongside Moyes.
And the fundamentals drilled into him back then have shaped the approach to management he hopes to showcase when he takes charge of his side for the final time on Wednesday night, when they take on Gordon Strachan's Scotland at Easter Road.
"I was over here for about three years and I lived with David Moyes and his family in Bearsden," said Findlay. "David was great to me. He kept me on the straight and narrow.
"I was desperate to be a footballer but I wasn't any good. I stuck around for a while and I think it was my fitness that kept me alive. But eventually my dad told me it was time to come home and get a real job.
"I've kept in touch with David though. When he was in charge at Everton I visited him there.
"He and his family really set the tone for me as it relates to football. They set out what was expected of you as a professional, what was expected of you as a human being.
"They really gave me the standards I set today of my players with the environment in their house.
"I really couldn't have gone to a better club than Celtic at 16.
"It was an amazing time to be there. Charlie Nicholas was also there, so was Willie and Paul McStay - some very famous Scottish players. It was an amazing education.
"It makes tomorrow's match all the more special for me. I never thought back then I'd be standing in the technical area coaching my country against Scotland all these years later. It will be the pinnacle of my football career.
"It's a little emotional for my dad. He's totally pumped though. He's been a great leader for me and for me to give him this moment is a big deal."
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