Former Celtic star Aiden McGeady has lifted the lid on the tough talking behind the scenes at Parkhead kept him in check early in his career.
McGeady made his breakthrough into the Celtic first-team during Martin O'Neill's tenure as boss in 2004, surrounded by veterans including John Hartson, Alan Thompson and Neil Lennon.
Now 35, the Sunderland winger admits cleaning boots and washing kits served him well as an apprenticeship in the game.
However, he didn't always see it that way, conceding he was "too big-time" for his own good.
And there were plenty on hand to take the youngster down a peg or two when he got ideas above his station.
Speaking to the Everton club website, he said: “It was a sink-or-swim environment.
“If you weren’t playing well or training properly, they would tell you, and not in a polite way.
“You had to come out the other side better or go into your shell and never be seen again.
“It was cut-throat, you played with men and they were big personalities.
“It could be difficult but I enjoyed it and that experience is probably one of the reasons I am where I am.
“I had a bit of an arrogance when I was quite young. It is a useful quality if you channel it the right way. I had the strength of character to handle the senior environment.
“But there were times I was too arrogant and cheeky and big-time for my own good. Managers didn’t want to take away what made me, me.
“But I was brought down a peg or two a few times, don’t worry about that.”
He also revealed a cheeky response to then under-21 boss Kenny McDowall landed him in hot water with O'Neill's trusted lieutenant.
After telling the youth boss "he didn't understand" the benefits of going away with the under-21 set-up, assistant John Robertson was waiting for him at training on Monday.
McGeady said: “He tore me apart. He belittled me to the point I was thinking, ‘Am I even a good player anymore?’
“It was what I needed and in football, as soon as it’s done, it’s forgotten.
“A few months later I was starting for the Under-21s.
“If I was a manager and had a young player say that to me, I’d do exactly the same.”
