Scott Brown was well known for his hardman image as a player.
But good pal and ex-Hibs team-mate Kevin Thomson reckons he will need to ditch it to succeed as a manager.
The Celtic hero has taken his first steps into management after being announced as the new Fleetwood Town boss.
He's already been busy adding new signings - including Shaun Rooney from St Johnstone - as he gets set for his first season as his own man in the dugout.
Former Rangers midfielder Thomson, who has been linked with Cove Rangers following his departure from Kelty Hearts, admits the hard exterior on the pitch is not the man who greets you off the park.
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Broony has ditched his skinhead look for a full head of hair for his next adventure in his career and Thomson admits it's hard to take his good mate seriously.
Speaking to the Daily Record, he said: “It’s hard to take him seriously now having known him for so long with that hardman look.
“But to be honest, that hard exterior you saw when he had his game face on during matches is not the boy you meet off the pitch.
“He’s loved by people at the clubs he’s played at and that’s not me just saying that because he’s my mate.
“He has a prestige and people respect him. But he is also a humble lad.
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“He comes from a working-class background. I used to go for lunch with his parents Heather and Brian when we were at Hibs and trained at Dalgety Bay. They’re lovely people.
“So his persona on the field is totally different off it - but a lot of people won’t want to see that side of Scotty.
“A lot of folk just want to hate him because he was a good player, playing for your big rivals. But that never bothered him.
“What he might find tough is that he probably won’t be able to get involved in all the banter and mischief stuff he loved as a player, because he can’t have that persona as a manager.
“But he’ll know that and there is a straight-faced, serious side to him.
“He’s going to need to use all those different parts of his personality to grab this changing room and make a success of himself.”
Brown has worked under some top coaches in his career and was a big fan of Neil Lennon, Brendan Rodgers and Gordon Strachan.
Thomson reckons he will take inspiration from the trio, but will implement his own style on his Fleetwood team.
And the ex-Rangers and Hibs star has also revealed he has already told the Celtic hero he will be down to take in a game and some training sessions at the English League side.
He added:“I know he loved Neil Lennon, who you could argue has a similar personality to Broony’s. A wee bit fiery, he’s a fighter.
“He also spoke very highly of Brendan Rodgers and loved Gordon Strachan too.
“He’s had that experience of working with three top coaches who are all really different.
“So it will be really interesting to see the direction he goes in but I think he’ll do it his own way.
“I can’t wait to see how he develops. I’ve already told him I want to go down and take in a game and some sessions."
