I couldn't sleep the night before interviewing my hero Henrik! Former Celtic star Charlie Mulgrew on his new venture chatting to sports stars as a YouTuber

After a flight to Denmark and a road trip across the border, the gleaming road sign confirmed that Charlie Mulgrew had reached his southern Sweden destination. 

‘Welcome to Helsingborg’ was staring back at him. But it was the glance down at his phone that took his breath away. 

About to film a game of golf with Henrik Larsson, Celtic’s beloved ‘Magnificent Seven’, which was to be the seventh episode on his ‘Mulgrew: Pitch To Par’ YouTube channel, Charlie couldn’t believe his eyes. 

'I swear to God,” says the former Celtic and Scotland defender, 'I was looking at how many followers there were on Instagram for ‘Pitch to Par’ and the total was at 7,776. 

'I showed my son Jacob (13) who was with me on the trip and he confessed that he didn’t follow me. I was raging! So he grudgingly agreed to put that right and round it up to all the sevens. 

'I’m not joking, you couldn’t make this up. It happened as we were driving into Henrik’s home town of Helsingborg and I took a screen shot on my phone to prove I didn’t dream it. It was mental. I mean, the seventh episode with the legendary number seven as the show clocked up 7,777 followers.' 

The idea for the golf-related chat show was sparked by conversations between Mulgrew and former Scotland striker Steven Fletcher a couple of years ago when the pair played together at Dundee United.

'Fletch loves his golf and that got me back out on the course again. We talked about doing this on-course video thing. I had one eye on being a coach or a manager. He was still playing. Then he headed back south and signed for Wrexham. I went into coaching. I did a year at Hamilton Under-18s and then three months at Kelty Hearts as manager.

'When I left Kelty I decided I wasn’t going to sit about waiting for this golf thing to happen. I’m just gonna go and do it, although I have to say I was just winging it. I spoke to a guy I know who does photography at weddings and he put me in touch with a videographer who, funnily enough, worked at Celtic when I was there.

'We did a couple of trials and just developed the idea from there. I enjoy golf and I like talking to people on the way round. I’d seen similar stuff elsewhere but there was nothing like it in Scotland and this is the home of golf. And that’s how it came about.

'When I played football, golf was a great way of taking my mind off it. You had to concentrate on what you were doing and, for four hours, your full focus was on that. And I thought if I can get footballers, sports people, celebrities out on the course, thinking about their golf and away from their normal situation, that would work.

'We could have a loose, relaxed chat about their life and their career. I’m interested in people, I enjoy having a laugh but I also like the serious side and delving into the psychological side of things. The technical part of it seemed like a challenge but I knew once I had a few goes at it, it would be a decent enough product.”

Mulgrew was pleasantly surprised when Larsson agreed to be ‘Pitch To Par’ guest number seven and more than a bit worried about interviewing a player he’d idolised as a youngster.

'I didn’t sleep the night before. I was wondering about the right questions to ask him. He was one of my heroes growing up. I had one chance to get it right. I was really nervous and I think that shows a bit in my golf. The longer it went, the more we eased into it.

'That’s the great thing about golf. I could just wander on to the course just now and play with a complete stranger. After four hours with anyone you develop some sort of connection. It was the same with Henrik. I settled into it the longer we played and obviously I was genuinely interested in his answers to my questions.

'I loved hearing about his upbringing. He was raised in Helsingborg in a row of flats. He was given a ball when he was really young and fell in love with football. He packed crates in a fruit factory while he was playing lower league for Hogaborg and he said to himself this can’t be a life. Jeezo. Henrik Larsson working in a fruit factory. That blew my mind. But he stuck at it and got himself a professional contract with Helsingborg before moving on to bigger and better stuff.

'His mindset was really interesting, It was always about being in the moment. It was never about what was behind him or what was still to come. It was the here and now. And he showed that on the golf course. I’d be cursing about hitting a bad shot and he would say ‘It’s done, move on’.

“I asked him how come he scored so many goals. He said even if he’d scored a hat-trick, it was gone and he moved on to the next game. It was always about reset and he worked on the basis he was potentially only a game away from being criticised. I thought his mindset was unreal and you could see that with his golf. It was brilliant.”

For Mulgrew, the Larsson episode will take some beating but his golf course chat with Paul Craig, the most successful Scottish fighter in UFC history, has also proved popular.

'It was fascinating hearing what he feels when he walks into the cage as a UFC fighter. I was talking about how you’re scared and nervous as a footballer. And even one of the toughest guys ever, Mike Tyson, used to break down in tears before fighting. 

'Paul Craig said sometimes he wished he would get injured in the build-up to a bout so he wouldn’t have to fight. And I could relate to that because there were times when I wished my match was off. It’s a really hard thing to say but sometimes it’s the truth. And you need to lean into it and find the courage you need to win. So he was very interesting about the psychological side of it.'

So is Mulgrew frightened of football management, having quit Kelty after only 11 games in charge?

He laughs as he sinks back in his chair. 'That’s a great question. You’re probably right. I didn’t enjoy it so am I running scared from it? I thought I wanted to get into management. What for? Well, you want to get to the top but there’s so much time and energy and sacrifice that goes into it. It doesn’t bring me enough joy and the end goal’s not enough to miss out on so much of your life.

‘Kids, family, actually just living your life. To give that to football management isn’t something I’m willing to do. I’ve got a passion for football tactics and how I understand the game. 

'Quitting wasn’t an option for me as a player but I’m not putting myself through all that again for the guaranteed uncertainty of a managerial career.

I’m not sure I know what the phrase ‘social media influencer’ means but I’m wondering if that’s the way Mulgrew sees himself.

'I would never tag myself as an influencer. Like you, I’m not sure what that word actually means. I play golf so if that means I’m influencing people to play golf then I suppose that’s what I am. A lot of people have come up to me and told me I’ve made them want to play the game.

'A lot of them have said it’s helped them with their mental health, getting out on the course. That wasn’t my plan, although I know it helped me. I just wanted to play golf and chat to people. Some viewers say they feel as if they’re out on the course with me when I’m speaking to the camera and just having a casual chat like you and me right now. That sounds mad but maybe they just feel comfortable in that sort of scenario, I don’t know.

'The latest recordings were with John Hartson, the things he’s been through, and Mikael Lustig, the anxiety he suffered after making a mistake when he was playing for Sweden. So in answer to your question, I don’t know if I’m an influencer but I suppose if you influence people to do stuff then you are. I just enjoy it and I hope everyone watching does too.'

Check out youtube.com/@Mulgrew_Pitch_To_Par. Next episode with Mikael Lustig, out on Tuesday September 23.