Dortmund embroiled in civil war ahead of Celtic Champions League clash as Sahin and Sabitzer clash

Dortmund embroiled in civil war ahead of Celtic Champions League clash as Sahin and Sabitzer clash

It doesn’t appear to be a happy Dortmund camp ahead of Champions League meeting with Brendan Rodgers’ men

Nuri Sahin speaks with Marcel Sabitzer

While all at Celtic seem to be on the same page, Borussia Dortmund appear to be plagued by infighting ahead of the pair meeting on Tuesday.

Brendan Rodgers takes his team to Germany for their second Champions League clash of the season where last year’s runners up lie in wait. But this appears to be a very different Dortmund that made it all the way to Wembley last season under Edin Terzic. Former midfielder and assistant boss Nuri Sahin is in the hot seat but it hasn’t been a smooth transition based on recent evidence.

A 5-1 hammering at the hands of VFB Stuttgart was a major blot in Sahin’s copybook and they weren’t exactly convincing in winning a Ruhr derby 4-2 against Bochum at the weekend. Sahin has also been involved in a public spat with Austrian star Marcel Sabitzer. The midfielder has been utilised as a right winger by Sahin, and has expressed his preference to operate as a No 6. That has led to Sahin publicly telling Sabitzer he’ll continue to use him out wide, which has led to a warning from legendary German coach Peter Neururer.

“Sabitzer is certainly a player who can play in several positions in midfield,” he told Der Westen. “An outstanding guy, an outstanding footballer. However, I think it is fundamentally wrong to announce his claims in public because it brings with it a certain touch. The players have to perform to their potential. Players also have to be heard, that is absolutely right. But ultimately there is someone who makes the decision and that is the coach.”

Neururer drew parallels between a similar situation with Terzic and Mats Hummels last season, which Nahin had a front row seat for before the duo both left the club. “He saw last year how things were going at BVB. After all, he was the assistant coach. That could really become a problem if he is not careful. That is why he is required as head coach to react to it.”

Meanwhile, sporting director Lars Ricken has admitted that club chiefs all “argue like tinkers” following a summer of transfer disagreements. Club power brokers reportedly disagreed over sanctioning moves for Yan Couto and Maximilian Beier.

It is claimed Ricken, along with fellow directors Sven Mislintat, Sebastian Kehl and transfer advisor Matthias Sammer, did not see eye to eye, which the 1997 Champions League Final hero has openly admitted. “We can all argue like tinkers. If that has an effect on Borussia Dortmund, then I don’t really care,” Ricken said. When asked who can be the loudest, he replied: “If he is emotionally charged, I think it is Matthias Sammer. He is just swearing the whole time.”

It’s not very often big-name pundits like Gary Lineker talk about Celtic outside of big Champions League games.

So when the former England international and BBC pundit speaks about the club after a Scottish Premiership win, you just know that it would have to be something special that Lineker has witnessed from Celtic to do so.

And the 6-0 win over St Johnstone was something special. The football Brendan Rodgers has this team playing is sublime and it seems that no other Scottish club can get near Celtic right now.

The win at McDiarmid Park win not only keeps Celtic’s five-point lead over Rangers intact but also ahead of Aberdeen on goal difference at the top of the table.

But it seems that Celtic’s early-season goal scoring form is really catching Lineker’s eye.

Gary Lineker blown away by free-scoring Celtic

Speaking to Alan Shearer and Micah Richards about the weekend results, Lineker said he just had ‘to mention Celtic’ after another Scottish Premiership win.

Lineker told The Rest Is Football, “I just want to mention Celtic. Have you seen, they won six nil again today, but they’ve played six games, they’ve not conceded yet, you know?

“20 goals for, none against. And you say, well, they’re probably running away with it but Aberdeen won again and they’re now six wins from six.”

Lineker spoke about the possibility of Aberdeen keeping up with Celtic earlier this season and, in truth, the proof will be in the pudding towards the end of next month.

Celtic looking strong

Celtic will face Aberdeen on the 19th of October and that will be the acid test of whether or not Jimmy Thelin’s men can stay close to this Hoops team. They also face Dundee United and Rangers after that.

The Dons face Hearts next weekend before the next international break kicks in and if they can win that, it will set up the game at Celtic Park nicely as a top-of-the-table clash assuming the Bhoys also win their next fixture against Ross County at Dingwall on the same day.

Of course, Rangers will also be in the mix and, in all probability, will end up Celtic’s closest challengers this season.

However, the fact that Celtic’s performances are being mentioned by pundits who predominantly focus on the English Premier League is a testament to the kind of football Brendan Rodgers has his team playing at this early stage of the season.

Dortmund v Celtic – We’ve got ability to compete, we’ve got to have belief

St Johnstone v Celtic – Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers salutes the fans after the William Hill Premiership match at McDiarmid Park, Perth on Saturday September 28, 2024. Photo Jane Barlow

We’ve got the ability to compete with Dortmund. We’ve got to have the belief…

Tuesday night will see us face our biggest challenge of the season when we face Borussia Dortmund in Germany. The Germans are formidable opponents and of course reached last year’s final so we will have our work cut out, that’s not in doubt.

This season however has seen us hit top form under Brendan Rodgers and we look as organised and free flowing as we’ve been in years. We’ve also been scoring goals, while looking very secure at the back, but as I’ve said, that will be put to the test in Dortmund as the Germans will provide us with our toughest test of the campaign so far.

St Johnstone v Celtic – Alistair Johnston in action during the Scottish Premiership match at McDiarmid Park, Perth on Saturday September 28, 2024. Photo Jane Barlow

We’ve added quality to our ranks in the transfer window and that is starting to show in our performances as our squad depth is the best it’s been in a while, so it’s little wonder we are producing great results and performances on the park.

Having quality and ability is great, but all good teams also have another great trait and that is the belief. The belief that they can win every game they play no matter the opposition. That’s just as important as ability.

St Johnstone v Celtic – Nicolas Kuhn in action during the Scottish Premiership match at McDiarmid Park, Perth on Saturday September 28, 2024. Photo Jane Barlow

Scottish club sides such as ourselves, as well as the international side have been guilty for some time now of seeing themselves as inferior to tougher opposition and think they are beaten before a ball is kicked.

That belief and arrogance is something that’s been missing from our mindset for quite some time now, and it’s time we stopped that inferiority complex and went into games such as this with the belief we can win.

Let’s add that belief to our undoubted ability starting on Tuesday night, and we might just get the positive result we crave so much.

DON’T LET RED MIST DESCEND IN DORTMUND Scales admits Celtic have been warned to avoid costly dismissals in Europe

Celtic defender Liam Scales admits the team have been warned not to let red cards sabotage their Champions League ambitions in Dortmund on Tuesday night.

Having already taken Slovan Bratislava’s scalp, Saturday’s scintillating six-goal demolition of St Johnstone in the Premiership will see Brendan Rodgers’ side arrive in Germany at the very top of their form.

However, last season’s European campaign was undermined by early dismissals for Gustaf Lagerbielke and Odin Thiago Holm away to Feyenoord, while Daizen Maeda was sent off when Celtic faced Atletico Madrid on the road.

With three points on the board, Irishman Scales says the team are confident of adding to that tally against Borussia.

But, having seen how costly ill-discipline can be at this level a year ago, he feels the players must heed Rodgers’ warning of the pitfalls that lie in wait.

‘The manager would have spoken about it before the first game against Bratislava because it killed us in two fixtures last season – getting men sent off,’ he said.

McGregor looks on in disbelief as team-mate Holm is sent off against Feyenoord

Celtic defender Lagerbielke, above centre, was red carded in the same match

Holm pleads his innocence but his dismissal hurt Celtic against Feyenoord

ABC is accused of plotting against Trump at football game

130.7k viewing now

United 0-3 Spurs PLAYER RATINGS: Which new Utd signing struggled?

6.9k viewing now

Michael Schumacher’s daughter Gina ties the knot with Iain Bethke

93.2k viewing now

‘Obviously they were difficult fixtures last season, but it is important.

‘You’ve seen the ref as well against Bratislava, and in every Champions League game. You can’t really make a foul without picking up a yellow card. We just need to be careful but still be intense in our defending. It’s just something we need to look out for.’

Despite going up against last season’s beaten finalists, Scales sees no reason why Celtic can’t pull off a historic result if they keep a full quota of players on the pitch.

‘I believe we can go there and win it,’ said the 26-year-old.

‘We just need to play the way we’ve been playing and see where that takes us.

‘Obviously they’ve got a top, top side and, in a Champions League game, we know it’s going to be difficult.

‘But we also need to go there with a bit of confidence that, if we play our game, we can go and win.

Maeda was also sent off for a challenge in the game with Atletico Madrid

The Japanese striker is sent packing as Antoine Griezmann looks on

Manager Rodgers could hardly look as his best laid plans went up in smoke in Madri

Liam Scales says the players have been warned to avoid red cards in Euro clashesAdvertisement

“If we play the way we’ve been playing in the league, it gives us our best chance of getting a result there and that’s what we plan to do.

‘We’re playing good football, we’re winning games, we’re keeping clean sheets.

‘That’s given us the most confidence that we can possibly have going into a game like this.

‘It’s obviously going to be really difficult and we’ll do very well to get a result, but we believe we can.’

While Greg Taylor was taken off as a precaution at half-time in Perth, Cameron Carter-Vickers is a doubt for Dortmund after missing the weekend match with a toe injury.

But Scales believes fellow defender Auston Trusty showed enough at Perth to suggest he could handle the occasion in Signal Iduna Park if selected.

‘He was brilliant,’ he said of the 26-year-old American.

‘Cam’s a massive player for us, but I keep saying that strength and depth is massive, the competition for places.

‘No-one’s place is secure in the team at the moment because of how good the next player is to come in.

‘Even when we rotate, I don’t think it weakens us. It’s just a really good place to be.’

Sead Haksabanovic has no Celtic regrets as winger opens up on THAT social media blast

Watch Football Scotland’s exclusive interview above as the Malmo attacker lifts the lid on his two years at Parkhead

Football Scotland in conversation with Sead Haksabanovic

Sead Haksabanovic insists he doesn’t regret the social media outburst that effectively cost him his Celtic career.

The winger was a popular figure at Parkhead after helping Ange Postecgolou’s side to a famous Treble in his debut campaign. But Haksabanovic found himself farmed out on loan to Stoke City just months later after failing to see eye-to-eye with Brendan Rodgers. The frustrated frontman’s days were numbered when he dropped a bombshell on Instagram by claiming he wasn’t valued at Celtic Park, less than 24 hours after coming off the bench in a goalless draw against St Johnstone.

With just days of the summer window left, the Montenegro international secured an escape route to the bet365 Stadium. However, the 25-year-old would never pull on the hoops again after joining Malmo permanently during the summer. It was a bitter ending to Haksabanovic’s time in Glasgow and while a section of fans felt let down by his online conduct, the ex-Rubin Kazan star has now aired his side of the story.

In an exclusive interview with Football Scotland before last week’s Europa League defeat to Rangers, Haksabanovic reflected: “I wouldn’t say that I regret it [the Instagram post]. It was nothing to the fans or anything like that. I don’t want to go into details and stuff, it’s between me and them, but I felt I was not treated as the others were and I need to look for myself and make sure that I’m good because I understand why the fans were mad at me.

“They always want the best for the club and as long as I was a Celtic player I did that as well. But I need to protect myself as well because of things that someone can do against me and if I don’t like it, feel appreciated or respect it… it didn’t need to go so far that I needed to post it, but it went so far so I had to do something for myself.”

Rodgers admitted at the time that he was “surprised” by Haksabanovic’s remarks.

“We spoke about it after a training session”, Haksabanovic continued. “It was a good talk, we shook hands and everything. After that, I felt that they didn’t want me there. They had different options on the table but they kept saying no to everything, I don’t know why. They didn’t want me there. In the end, I had to do something.”

Haksabanovic returned from an underwhelming loan stint at the Potters in the summer realising that the writing was more or less on the wall.

He said: “The first thing I said to Brendan [last year] was, ‘If you give me a valid chance to give me a place in the team, I will do everything you say and work hard. If you tell me to run 10 laps around the pitch, it doesn’t matter I will do it if you give me a fair chance.’ But in the summer, I didn’t speak with them so much because I knew a little bit how they felt and in the end, it was more like a decision from both me and them.”

Sead Haksabanovic didn’t see eye-to-eye with Brendan Rodgers

Malmo put their faith in the talented attacker by making Haksabanovic their most expensive signing of the summer. But the former West Ham man raised eyebrows among the green-and-white faithful by claiming in a subsequent interview that his departure was mostly down to Rodgers “because the board wanted me to stay.”

Asked to clarify his comments, Haksabanovic explained: “The thing I can say is when Brendan came, he wanted other players to play in front of me. He said clearly, and I respect that, that I was not in his plans to play.

“So I would be out of the squad. But the board was like, ‘No, we want you to stay here because we think you can take a place in the team.’ So it was different stuff from both of them. Also, it didn’t make sense why he subbed me on during two games where we were losing and needed points. He subbed me on when he already told me I wasn’t in his plans. So the things he did and what he said didn’t make sense to me.

“As I’m saying now, the board said no to everything they had on the table. And then in the end, I told them my head wasn’t there anymore and the best thing for me was to go and play.”

Although Haksabanovic’s time in Scotland was cut short earlier than he planned, he holds no grudges and remains immensely proud having represented one of Europe’s biggest clubs. Being part of an historic Treble-winning team and getting his first taste of Champions League football is something that will live with him forever.

He said: “Every time I look back when sometimes you have a bad day, you think about these days. Those were my first trophies at senior level. I’m very happy with that. It was special. Everybody in the team had a good relationship. Even if there were people from around the world, everybody was going well with everyone. We had something special in the dressing room as well, not only on the pitch.”

So how does he sum up his time with Celtic? “My first season, I’m happy with that. Of course, I wanted to play more. I’m very proud that I can say I played for Celtic in my career.

“It’s one of the biggest clubs in Europe. Everybody in the world knows who Celtic are. Everywhere I’ve gone in the world, it’s like ‘You’ve played for Celtic!’ I’m proud that I can say that I’ve played for Celtic. I have some Celtic shirts at home and pictures that I’m very proud of.”

Now playing for the most successful team in Sweden, Haksabanovic hopes to kickstart his career with Malmo and fulfil his true potential.

He added: “Right now, I feel the best I’ve ever felt in regards to mind. When I’m not injured, I’m hungrier than ever. In my mind, I’ve learned so much throughout the years. I’m the best place in my mind where I can be right now and I’m hungrier than ever. So score many goals, make lots of assists and hopefully win silverware.”

Watch: Another Maeda Moment Goes Viral

Celtic fans see this so often now it should maybe become something we just expect. However, we will never get tired of Daizen Maeda chasing down opposition players, and yes, even when the bhoys are 6-0 up with five minutes to go!

Another Daizen moment has gone viral with the clip of the Japanese star bursting a gut to get back and win the ball after a sloppy pass in the final third.

You could have forgiven the winger for letting this one slide, but true to form, Daizen sees Celtic lose the ball and runs the length of the pitch to win the ball back.

— Stewart Ross (@StewartRoss89) September 29, 2024

More to come from Maeda and Celtic

Celtic were outstanding from start to finish in Perth. The bhoys really showing what they could do. However, you still feel there’s more to come from this group and they haven’t quite hit the zenith just yet.

Maeda was brought in under Ange Postecoglou but he is now excelling under Brendan Rodgers. His work ethic and character on and off the field makes Maeda a fantastic Celtic player.

Next up for the Hoops is a daunting trip to Dortmund. We can cross our fingers for some sort of result in Germany, but it’s going to be a very tough night.

Celtic injury update emerges as player ‘wanted’ by Rangers addresses transfer talk

Philippe Clement and Brendan Rodgers. (Getty Images) | Getty Images

Celtic and Rangers have both been in Scottish Premiership action this weekend

Celtic won 6-0 away at St Johnstone on Saturday afternoon after an emphatic performance. Kyogo Furuhashi scored twice whilst there were also goals for Paulo Bernardo, Callum McGregor, Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah.

Rangers are looking to chase down the Hoops over the coming weeks and months. Here is a look at the latest news regarding the pair…

Celtic will assess Cameron Carter-Vickers before their Champions League away trip to Borussia Dortmund. The centre-back has been out of action for the last two games with a foot injury.

In this latest update regarding his condition, Brendan Rodgers has said: “I don’t know. I’ll know tomorrow. See where he’s at. And then we’ll go on Monday. And if he’s not available, then okay. Auston Trusty came in. I thought he was excellent tonight. You’ve seen his pace, you’ve seen his power. He’s playing off that right side, but he’s got a good balance in his game. And I thought he did very, very well. So if Cameron’s not available, then we have someone who can come straight in.”

Meanwhile, left-back Greg Taylor went off against St Johnstone but they hope he will be fine. His boss has shared this latest update: “Greg just felt a tightness in his calf in the first 15 minutes. So it just precautionary, we take him off and put Alex Valle in. We hope that he should be fine.”

Winger on interest

Rangers ‘wanted’ Plymouth Argyle winger Morgan Whittaker over the summer but nothing materialised in the end, as detailed in a report by the Daily Record. The 23-year-old stayed put at Home Park beyond the deadline due to his hefty price tag.

Following his side’s 2-1 win over Luton Town last time out, he addressed links to the Gers and told the Western Morning News: “I have been in this situation before so I know how to handle it and I found ways it worked for me, and that’s just focusing on what I can do. I think the difference to when I was at Swansea is I knew I was going to play here. In my eyes it was a win-win because I love it here and I’m playing all the time, and if I got the chance to move it would be to the higher level I want to be getting to. I didn’t see it as a bad position to be in.”

 

Major Scotland coaching change as family and club commitments force dugout reshuffle

No immediate replacement ahead of Nations League double-header

Austin MacPhee, the Scotland set-piece coach, has informed manager Steve Clarke he is stepping down with immediate effect.

It is understood the reason is primarily family illness although club commitments have also been cited, with Aston Villa currently competing in the Champions League/European Cup for the first time in over 40 years.

The English side face Bayern Munich in a re-match of the 1982 final on Wednesday night at Villa Park.

Clarke is understood to be considering his options but there will be no immediate replacement as it stands, with the analysts and coaches already well versed in set-piece processes. Scotland have Nations League games against Croatia and Portugal in the next fortnight.

Austin MacPhee has left the Scotland camp. | SNS Group

The Scotland backroom staff has already seen recent change, with Alan Irvine, the former Everton assistant manager, replacing James Morrison as coach following the disappointing Euro 2024 performance. Scottish FA Performance Director Graeme Jones is also due to join Hearts shortly.

MacPhee has been set-piece coach at Villa Park since 2021, when he was appointed by Dean Smith. He has continued working under Steven Gerrard and present manager Unai Emery.

The 44-year-old former Hearts interim manager has been involved with the Scotland set-up since shortly after Euro 2020 three years ago, when he was head hunted by Clarke. As well as his Villa duties, MacPhee, a Fifer, was Northern Ireland coach at the time, having been appointed by Michael O’Neill.

MacPhee has been a vital member of the Scotland backroom staff during a period when the national side qualified for Euro 2024 with two games to spare and secured promotion to League A of the Nations League for the first time.

Steve Clarke will now ponder his Scotland options. | SNS Group

He has been credited with upping the levels of professionalism within the camp. Scotland’s set-piece record undoubtedly improved in MacPhee’s time, with several players commenting on his positive influence.

Aston Villa finished top out of all five major European leagues last season in the goals-from-set-pieces rankings, scoring 25.

Advertisement

Hide Ad

Scotland, meanwhile, have scored 12 goals from set pieces in their last 22 competitive matches. It was just one in 18 competitive games before MacPhee joined.

“Steve has not only decided that this is an area to improve on, he has given me the space to do it,” MacPhee told The Scotsman in June. “There is a difference between hiring someone and then letting them work. The players also realise it is very important.”

Rodgers insists his stylish Celtic side will go on the attack in Dortmund after warming up for Champions League tie with demolition job on Saints in Perth

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers hailed his players for showing their Champions League mentality in last night’s six-goal thrashing of St Johnstone and feels they are ready to go on the front foot against Borussia Dortmund.

Rodgers saw his men blow away Saints with a brilliant display that brought two goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and efforts from Paulo

Bernardo, Callum McGregor, Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah and kept them top of the Premiership with six wins from six plus six clean sheets.

And although he knows it will be a whole lot tougher at Signal Iduna Park in the Champions League on Tuesday night, Rodgers admits he can’t wait to see his players put their stamp on the occasion, buoyed by such excellent domestic form.

‘We’re in a really good way. I look at the rhythm in the team, I look at the speed in the team, I look at the hunger in the team,’ he said. ‘We’re going to play a top team on their home patch, but I’m really excited to see how we can play against it. They’re a very good side, got really good players. But we can go there and look to impose our style in the game.

‘As long as we try and we press and we attack and we fight, let’s see where it takes us.

Two-goal Kyogo Furuhashi was the pick of a host of polished Celtic performers in Perth

Substitute Adam Idah rounded off the scoring with his customary goal from the bench

Rodgers insists his side will carry great confidence going into Tuesday’s tie in Dortmund

Fans predict Mary Fowler and Nathan Cleary to make two huge decisions

Chelsea 4-2 Brighton PLAYER RATINGS

Konate jokes that HE deserved Man of the Match in win over Wolves

‘We can manage the ball, we can play. We have the attributes in the team which can help us now as we’ve got real speed, we’ve got physicality and we can dig in, which is important.

‘Dortmund are a team on a really, really high level, but I’m really looking forward to seeing how we measure up against that.

‘I think we can create chances and we can score goals. And that’ll be our idea going into the game.

‘It’s going to be a brilliant occasion for us. I can’t wait for it now. Before the (St Johnstone) game, a lot of the noise and focus was on the Champions League game on Tuesday, but I thought we had the chance to show our Champions League mentality.

‘From the first whistle to the very last whistle, the players were absolutely brilliant — defensively strong, counter-pressing, great attitude to win the ball back.

Daizen Maeda scored his fifth goal of the season and was a menace to Saints throughout

‘We were really aggressive in getting the ball back and none more so than at the end with Daizen in the 86th minute, tracking the back to win the ball. That’s the part of the game that really, really pleased me. That gives you the opportunity to be as creative and free-flowing and, obviously, the goals were fantastic goals.

‘Not bad for a team that doesn’t play good football. I think that’s what we were told last year, wasn’t it?’

Celtic also had a Daizen Maeda goal disallowed at 0-0 when a VAR review saw Don Robertson adjudge Auston Trusty to have fouled Graham Carey earlier in the move.

‘It should never have been disallowed,’ said Rodgers. ‘If you watch it back, Auston loses his marker and their player steps into his space and bumps him.’

Skipper Callum McGregor continued his fine scoring form with another goal from distance

Midfielder Bernardo, meanwhile, is also buying into the belief Celtic can do something special against last term’s Champions League runners-up in Germany.

‘I think we were at our best against St Johnstone,’ he said. ‘I think we could have scored more.

‘We have a strong mentality and we have a strong group. We might change some things because of how they play, but yeah, for sure, we will do our best. We know our chances and we will do our best to get out with points. The sky is the limit.’

Rodgers has insisted he does not know if injured defender Cameron Carter-Vickers will travel, with a decision on his fitness likely to be made later today.

Murdo MacLeod’s wife on moment she was told Celtic legend might not survive heart surgery

SUNDAY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: In a excerpt from a new book called Murdo Murdo, wife Mhairi tells of their life together and why she refused to give up on him.

43 years ago in September 1981.

ON two separate occasions over a 12-year period, I’ve been taken into the same room, inside the same hospital and told there’s a chance my husband won’t survive the aftermath of heart surgery.

But my husband is Murdo MacLeod. During the nine years he spent playing for Celtic he was known to supporters and his ­teammates as The Rhino. There were reasons behind that nickname.

Murdo’s strength, fortitude and bloody-minded ­determination gave him an iron will to enable him to overcome any form of adversity.

We were married when we were no more than kids and raised a family to be proud of.

He was good enough as a part-timer at Dumbarton to be signed for Celtic and won every domestic honour there was at the club before pursuing his career elsewhere.

We moved to a foreign country and assimilated ourselves into the German way of life while Murdo was at Borussia Dortmund.

Mhairi MacLeod at home November 1981.

And then we came home again to see my husband enter the next phase of his life, winning trophies as a player at Hibs, a manager at Dumbarton and, most ­memorably of all, as Wim ­Jansen’s coach when Celtic won the league title that prevented Rangers getting 10 in a row.

You don’t stand back and allow that kind of man to slip away from this life. Especially not when he and I raised a family who formed a shield around him and refused to accept that medical opinion was the final word.

In October 2022, I assembled that family around around me in the room at the Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank so that the medical staff could update us on Murdo’s condition.

There present was a female doctor and a male anaesthetist. I remember thinking one was doom and the other one was gloom. Neither of them truly knew The Rhino.

We were asked if we wanted to have a husband and a father suffering from heart and kidney failure to be put back on a ventilator and attached to a dialysis machine.

Murdo Macleod with grandchild Cruz and a copy of his book, Murdo! Murdo!

The doctors and nurses couldn’t waken Murdo and the thin line between life and death was outlined to us in matter-of-fact detail.

His brain needed to start ­functioning properly for him to come back to us and all forms of medication had failed miserably.

It was suggested he was not intended to wake up and his chances of pulling through were slim.

Murdo’s heart wasn’t functioning. His kidneys weren’t functioning. We were witnessing a tightrope walk between life and death.

Our daughter Mhairi altered the mood with a message to the medical staff that was part defiance and part positivity. “We hear you,” she said, “but we’re just not listening to you. We’re ignoring you because that’s Murdo MacLeod in there.”

We weren’t the kind of people to give up on life. Our daughters wouldn’t have allowed me to even contemplate the idea.

It was so different when I worked part-time as a teenager at a petrol station not far from ­Dumbarton’s former home at Boghead.

The garage had a shop where I worked behind the till and the young hopefuls would go in there for the confectionery that kept them going.

I kept him at arm’s length at first because I was the older woman, nine months his senior. He kept coming in with his chat-up lines.

We got married on June 11, 1977. It didn’t take me long to find out what life as a footballer’s wife would be like because it was enacted in full view of the public.

Murdo went to sign for Celtic on the same day in 1978 that a man had been at our house to measure the windows for venetian blinds. He was the ­grumpiest man in the world as he went about his ­business.

By the time he came back to fit the blinds, Murdo had been on the back pages of all the newspapers holding a Celtic scarf above his head to mark his signing for Billy McNeill.

Murdo MacLeod pictured at home in 2023 on his road the recovery after nearly dying following heart surgery.

And the grumpiest man in the world had magically been ­transformed into the friendliest.

I’d been to one match before we married – Dumbarton at Boghead. Celtic Park was a different story.

Celtic beat Rangers to win the league title at the end of Murdo’s first season there and the memory of the night they beat Rangers in the final game of the season to become ­champions lives with me to this day.

I became engrossed and I grew more like my husband by believing anything was possible for Celtic.

It was like that in the hospital in 2022. We could understand the severity of Murdo’s condition. We knew we were being told there was nothing more that could be done to prevent him slipping away from us. We just felt instinctively that he wasn’t finished with life.

Twelve years earlier, when he had a valve inserted in his heart, it had taken a less severe toll on his body. And it was a much younger man combating complications.

When the valve was replaced 12 years later and complications arose, it meant eight weeks on a ventilator and all the circulatory problems it entailed.

His operation had taken place on September 9 and Murdo came round the following week. On September 20, he went into shock and his blood pressure dropped. It was four days before his 64th birthday.

Murdo’s cardiologist, Professor Colin Berry, came to see us at his patient’s lowest ebb. He suggested we should acknowledge Murdo’s birthday by getting as many messages from family members and friends as we could and playing them to him.

One of our grand-children, Fergus, is Rhino mark two. He loves his football and his papa. His message implored Murdo to get back to having a kickabout with him.

There was one song that meant a lot to Murdo – Don’t Give Up On Me by Andy Grammer. The girls have it on their phones from the time when they were lifting those devices to his ear in hospital.

One morning we went into his room and found him sitting up in bed reading Wim Jansen’s book about his life in football. It was an incredible moment.

By the time he left the hospital to go home, Murdo had spent over 100 days fighting for his life.

Age had made him more stubborn than ever to succeed. He fought. And he fought when he was almost down to his last breath.

● MURDO, MURDO: From the 4-2 Game to Stopping the Ten is published by Black and White and on sale from October 3.

READ NEXT:

The 6 names that question the concept of Celtic having sufficient strength to cope with Champions League – Hugh Keevins

Our man believes the Hoops gaffer’s claim that he is “most ready” than ever for Europe’s elite will be put to the test

Celtic’s Auston Trusty

Gustaf Lagerbielke coming on to the park at Old Trafford in the closing stages of the game to help FC Twente nail down a draw against Manchester United in the Europa League

Who would have thought it? No-one who had ever watched the Swedish defender play in a Celtic jersey, that’s for sure. Brendan Rodgers said two weeks ago he felt he was the “most ready” he had ever been as Celtic’s manager for the Champions League.

By that time he had approved Lagerbielke’s loan move to the Netherlands and spent six million pounds on acquiring American centre-back Auston Trusty from Sheffield United during the last days of the transfer window. Brendan now needs supportive evidence he let the right player go out the door, and that his replacement in the squad can cope with the psychological demands Lagerbielke handled against Erik Ten Hag’s side on Wednesday night.

And the need to know takes on more crucial importance if Cameron Carter Vickers, an absentee against St Johnstone, fails to make the game against last season’s losing Champions League finalists in Germany. I would go so far as to say the loss of Carter Vickers is pivotal where the outcome of the match is concerned, because Trusty has never known an examination of his capabilities at this exalted level.

Ever since this season’s Champions League draw was made, I have thought four home wins for Celtic was a possibility. Likewise the chance of four defeats on the road. If that did happen then qualification for the next phase of the competition would be, analytics being all the rage at the minute, a data based certainty.

But, at the same time, it wouldn’t be easy on the eye, or sit comfortably on the mind, if hidings were administered on a regular basis in the away matches.

Starting with Borussia Dortmund in the Westfalenstadion on Tuesday night. There was so much reputational damage done during the Premier Sports Cup tie eventually won against Falkirk last Sunday Rodgers must have developed repetitive strain syndrome clicking his pen on and off to write down the names of those who were suspect in his pocket notebook.

Alex Valle? Barcelona might be his parent club but he can’t defend. Trusty? Trusty by name but worryingly unsteady at first glance. Anthony Ralston and Stephen Welsh? Next question. Maik Nawrocki? Cost millions. Can’t get a game ahead of Welsh. Luis Palma? Doesn’t fit the Celtic model, as the January transfer window will show. That’s a chunk of names to question the concept of Celtic now having sufficient strength in depth to cope with European and domestic challenges simultaneously.

The game is about levels and Celtic are not yet at the level where they can approach Dortmund with anything resembling unarguable confidence regarding the outcome of the game. The five-one win over Slovan Bratislava in Celtic’s opening tie of the competition was a high water mark for Rodgers and his players, but they need, first and foremost, to avoid drowning in Deutschland.

The object of the exercise in Germany is to get a commendable result that doesn’t deflate the bubble of positivity blown up on the back of results to date in their own country. No exception should be taken to that assessment of the situation. Foreign soil is, historically, barren land for Celtic in the Champions League, but home has the capacity for cultivating growth on their behalf.

On that basis Cameron Carter Vickers becomes just as important as Arne Engels against Dortmund. If the defensive mainstay plays there is greater security at the back. When he doesn’t, such as the game last Sunday, there is an inclination towards nervous anxiety. It’s one thing to be tentative and error prone against Falkirk, begging manager John McGlynn’s pardon.

Being jittery in Germany is another matter altogether.

READ NEXT:

Sandman’s Definitive Ratings – Celtic v Amish Country

St Johnstone v Celtic – Callum McGregor celebrates scoring our fourth goal of the game during the Scottish Premiership match at McDiarmid Park, Perth on Saturday September 28, 2024. Photo Jane Barlow

SANDMAN’S DEFINITIVE RATINGS: CELTIC @ AMISH COUNTRY…

‘I worked at this supermarket called Amish market. Everything is, like, organic.’

– Cardi B: philosopher, anthropologist, poet.

THE FRIENDLY GHOST – 6/10 – Stay frosty, as a great man once advised. And Kasper was alert enough to make a fine stop from a late snap shot, covering himself in a fleeting wash of glory to silence the, ‘Haud it” doubters after a dubious punch in the first-half.

WAYNE GRETZKY – 7/10 – Pleasantly surprised to see him start given recent injury worries and impending mega-games. But this was another storming Bullwinkle. J. Moose caper from the archives (see what I did there, classic American cartoon fans?). The AJ and Kuhn partnership may be the unlikeliest from your fever dreams, but they’re forming a regular Han Solo and Chewy dynamic. Where Nick opens up, AJ surges in, or draws fire and leaves the German Jinky space to operate.

GREGGS THE BAKER – 6.5/10 – What happened? Off at Half-time to much bemusement and concern. May have had something to do around the contretemps with MIB and assorted officials near the break about events over on his wing? At the time I presumed he was just complaining about the conglomeration of wee Perth edgelords in the stands near him; maybe the bitterness reeking out of them? However, we will see what’s reported. Prior to his enforced absence he’d been instrumental in prising open the packed resistance, delightful ball in for the third goal.

OF JUSTICE – 6.5/10 – A near template-Liam-90-minutes against SPL cannon-fodder; a few eccentric moments early on until he gets his footing and sights set and then near flawless for the remainder. Extra half point for his unheralded contribution to the critical opening goal – his fine win on a contested header from their goal-kick set it all up. Just needs to get warmed into it quicker and deny opposition any hope.

CRUSTY THE CLOWN – 7/10 – Roll up, roll up – the circus has hit town and Crusty is available for local yokels to play the ‘bump into the hooped newbie and fall over’ game, whereby the Bhoys will be penalised and he’ll get to understand the ‘welcome to Scotland’ level of refereeing. The fact that we did have a meathead bouncing off him, seemingly concussed was – to me – a promising sign of our new Yankee stalwart’s robust nature. Not his Falkirk stuttering this week – he looked athletic and purposeful, with a good leap and a turn of pace.

St Johnstone v Celtic –  Callum McGregor celebrates scoring our fourth goal of the game during the Scottish Premiership match at McDiarmid Park, Perth on Saturday September 28, 2024 Photo Jane Barlow

CALMAC – 7.5/10 – From deep-lying fulcrum to gunslinger; Calmac is now a man prepared to shoot more randomly than Ron Jeremy and give us orgasmic moments of net-bulging spectacle. Today’s was a sizzling daisy-cutter after an hour and more of bossing the middle and securing a triumph with sheer graft and guile that is second-nature to the priceless skipper.

“Excellent. I thought from start to finish we were tremendous!” 🗣️@CelticFC captain Callum McGregor gives his post-match thoughts after another convincing victory this season 🍀#STJCEL | @spfl pic.twitter.com/JMTKvOUTUk

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) September 28, 2024

St Johnstone v Celtic – Paulo Bernardo celebrates scoring our second goal of the game during the Scottish Premiership match at McDiarmid Park, Perth on Saturday September 28, 2024. Photo Jane Barlow

SAINT BERNARDO – 8.5/10 MOTM – Questions posed all week as to whether he’d retain a place. After last Sunday’s solo turn? Of course – BR is a meritocratic manager at core and cohesive work is rewarded. So with their congested tactical plan, maybe the cuteness of Reo’s game would be more suited? No, in stepped Paulo to the O’Reily role of tin-opener.

Watch his movement and touch – perfectly pitched for the requirements; way ahead of the game, poised to lay-off or play-in (touch and delivery for Daizen’s header, sumptuous), or in his own special moment – whip-in; sweet as they come that strike for his goal. We won a watch nicking this Portuguese kid-captain for the price we got him. Bookmark that.

THE TERMINATOR – 6/10 – Hark, the herald Engels… doesn’t sing. A quiet one, though not lacking class. His match was all about tireless movement, shifting their midfield around. Paulo got the benefit with space to produce magic. Arnie sufficed with one superb late disguised pass just to remind us the arsenal he carries.

St Johnstone v Celtic –  Daizen Maeda celebrates scoring our fifth goal of the game during the Scottish Premiership match at McDiarmid Park, Perth on Saturday September 28, 2024. Photo Jane Barlow

LORD KATSUMOTO – 8/10 – Madman, humble warrior, beloved mascot, superhuman manga character; all in one furious dynamo who will be spoken of in legendary tones down the decades. Skelper of a volley denied by mibbery, iced by a raucous diving heider from a movie climax as Daizen got his just reward for another maniacal tear-up of the opposition’s physical fortitude and psyche. Tavpen’s ‘Frightmare’ has many sequels to come and we’re stacking up the popcorn.

St Johnstone v Celtic –  Kyogo Furuhashi celebrates scoring our first goal of the game during the Scottish Premiership match at McDiarmid Park, Perth on Saturday September 28, 2024. Photo Jane Barlow

KILLER MUSHROOM – 8/10 – ‘Miss one, miss two…Third I screw you.’ Says the hieroglyph tattoo on the back of Kyogo’s neck, just for defenders to read as they chase. Jamesy has something identaical on a different part of the anatomy, and with a completely different meaning. Tonight, worries about the wee mhan’s bluntenss after two snatched misses were proven needless folly as he tucked in two in ten minutes with aplomb. Movement and murder in Perth; showing tonight at McDiarmid Park. Still await the hat-trick he’s deserved for a while. Probably Tuesday, then…

TAKINTE – 7.5/10 – A pleasant visit to Scotland’s gingham, barbour and corduroy county for our Fatherland bhoy as the predominantly Amish population there all apparently speak a form of Pennsylvanian Germanic. And he looked comfortable from the start; heavily involved in the first-half seige, always in or around the flair moves. He continues his inspiring season with more uplifting footwork and clever football, with no sign of relenting. Excellent.

SUBS –

HAKUNA HATATE – N/A – Reo still appears to be off it and out of synch at times. The only sub who didn’t have a good romp around.

St Johnstone v Celtic – Adam Idah scores our sixth goal of the game during the Scottish Premiership match at McDiarmid Park, Perth on Saturday September 28, 2024.Photo Jane Barlow

DUNCAN IDAHO – 6/10 – Delicate precision for the big mhan’s finish; now we’re always expecting a goal contribution and he didn’t disappoint as fitness rises and sharpness refines.

Liquid football from Celtic 💧 pic.twitter.com/WjBST30sLs

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 28, 2024

JAMESY – 6/10 – I’ll have some of that, thought Jamesy (yes, yes, ‘as ever’…) and indulged himself for his brief spell with intricate patterns of play and darting runs.

St Johnstone v Celtic –  Callum McGregor celebrates with team-mates after scoring our fourth goal of the game during the match at McDiarmid Park, Perth on Saturday September 28, 2024. Photo Jane Barlow

HIGHLAND TOFFEE – 6.5/10 – Richard Jobson has feet to match the voice – I like the lhad’s gallusness; here to live the dream and contribute as much as he can in his time. Thwarted by the keeper and post for personal elation but praise due in abundance for the Tiger Woods dink that led to the glorious 6th.

UNCANNY – 6/10 – Well, he might give some viewers uneasy Bernabei flashbacks with his physical stature and style but there’s also impact with this kid who’s not afraid to play the Barca way; uplifting arse-off-seat magic as he trap-flicked Luke’s sand-wedge right into the path of barnstorming Idah for the evening’s crowning
goal.

THE NOTAPRODDYGAL – 7.5/10 – Changes? After last week? That’ll be flaming right… BR didn’t say in the presser, but you know he wanted to. Rightly rewarded Paulo with a gig, Reo left to ponder if he’ll be in Tuesday, though that looks less than likely. But the regular Rodgers’ side went to town in the finest blend yet of counter-pressing intensity and eventually obliterated Saint’s defiance in bursts of breathtaking cohesion.

He’s getting what he wants after so much hit or miss last season. Compromises seem to have been made with players who all look a lot cheerier than ever; now he gets his biggest test yet on Tuesday of the Rodgers reconstruction; a defining 90 minutes coming up…

A different memory made tonight at McDiarmid Park as Brendan Rodgers says everyone is now ‘on the same page’ after his side cruised to another league victory 🤝#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/smXhUMRNPL

— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) September 28, 2024

MIBBERY – 5/10 – Aw, what an effort. Keeping with NFL practices, we got a MIB flag on the play as they attempted to paint our new American CB as a LB (that’s ‘Linebacker’ for the uninformed or disinterested…).Dopey bar stewards actually forced that one to stick as the clock ticked over the half hour and their fervent prayers of a Perth upset looked to have caught Baphomet’s ear.

Buuuutttt…

They knew it. The forces of light have powered-up tenfold this time out and the barrage of green and white terror made them cast a mind to the 20th century barrages that had their grandfathers and great-grandfathers hiding in shipyards. So, in tribute to those resourceful forefathers, they too hid for the rest of the one-sided conflict while the good ghuys won.

OVERALL – 8.5/10 – Struggle? In Perth? Once upon a time, maybe… For half an hour of chin-stroking stalemate here, there was a glimmer of past wrought afternoons and late winners. But the Bhoys stood up to chicanery and dazzled us with some scintillating – probably will be the most used adjective in coming months – footy, and Playstation FIFA goals. A perfect jolly in the countryside to tune-in for the heady realms of Tuesday’s gladiatorial event. It’ll be the Yellow Wall we face in the NW Rhineland, a tad more intimidating than the black Primark trackie-clad baw-fiddling wee collective of Perthshire ultras in their ‘Plukey Wall’.

🍀 Showed “attitude & talent”
🇩🇪 Go to Dortmund “full of confidence”

Brendan Rodgers shares his thoughts on Celtic’s 6-0 win at St Johnstone, provides a fitness update on Greg Taylor & Cameron Carter-Vickers & looks ahead to Tuesday’s #UCL clash ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Y1vACwfVHX

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) September 28, 2024

This Celtic team – squad, actually – appear to have some top-level grit about them that we’ll see stress-tested to its limit in the CL, never more so than in Dortmund. Curiously, I’m feeling a bit more optimistic about Euro aways this time around; it may be a psychotic break from reality, or perhaps subconsciously-calculated accuracy given the sophistication of our footballing level this season, or – likely – just the Guinness…

Anyway, salut for that Saturday night delight, and see you handsome mother… (non-binary term of endearment) on Tuesday.

Go Away Now

Sandman

Brendan Rodgers speaks with our studio panel after @CelticFC‘s 6-0 victory at the home of St Johnstone tonight 🍀

“For me, I wanted a Champions League mentality in the game this evening and I thought the boys were absolutely brilliant.” 🗣️#STJCEL | @spfl pic.twitter.com/jamG3ZcvsT

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) September 28, 2024

2⃣ Kyogo with a brace
©️ McGregor scores again
🤩 Bernardo, Maeda & Idah on target

Watch the goals as Celtic hit SIX past St Johnstone to top the Scottish Premiership ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/FrC5KFpIpA

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) September 28, 2024

🔊 LISTEN: “Not bad for a team who doesn’t play good football… that’s what we were told last year.”

🍀 Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers says their 6-0 win over St Johnstone was a “perfect night”. pic.twitter.com/rgoKxBlz7Z

— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) September 28, 2024

 

Paulo Bernardo’s Brilliant Saturday Night Instagram Post

Celtic midfielder Paulo Bernardo has taken to Instagram following his side’s dominant 6-0 victory over St. Johnstone tonight.

25th August 2024; St Mirren Park, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, Scottish Premiership Football, St Mirren versus Celtic; Paulo Bernardo of Celtic warms up

The Portuguese under-21 captain got the Hoops’ second of the game, brilliantly curling home from the edge of the box and into the bottom corner.

Bernardo scored and was also the architect of one of his side’s goals, sublimely crossing the ball into the box for Daizen Maeda to nod home and make it 5-0 to the Bhoys.

The midfielder is continually improving each game, and the £3.5m the club paid for him in the summer looks even shrewder as the weeks go by.

Along with several players, the 22-year-old was a standout this evening.

It was a productive night at the office for Bernardo, who has now taken to Instagram.

The midfielder shared a few snaps from the win in Perth while saying he was ‘really happy’ to help his team to victory:

View this post on Instagram

After standing out tonight, Bernardo will likely get the nod for Celtic in Dortmund on Tuesday.

Brendan Rodgers will benefit from the former Benfica man’s desire, running power, and general athleticism in his side’s biggest test of the season to date.

All focus for the Bhoys now turns to Signal Iduna Park and maintaining their perfect start to the campaign

Former SPFL cult hero dies suddenly at 46y/o after futsal match as tributes planned at Premiership clash

The Paraguayan was a runner-up in Scottish Cup with Dees

Dundee have paid tribute to former striker Fabian Caballero after he passed away at the age of 46.

The Paraguayan, who played for the Dens Park side between 2000 and 2005, is reported to have collapsed during a futsal match in his homeland.

Caballero played for Cerro Porteno, Serro Portino, Atletico Tembetary, Sol de America and Tacuary in South America and also had a brief spell at Arsenal, playing once for the Gunners. He picked up a Scottish Cup runners-up medal when at Dundee in 2003.

Caballero was a cult hero among the Dundee support and returned last November to play in Cammy Kerr’s testimonial. Dundee plan to pay tribute to Caballero ahead of this afternoon’s Premiership match against Aberdeen at Dens Park.

Fabian Caballero played for Dundee between 2000 and 2005. | SNS Group 0141 221 3602

In a statement posted on social media, Dundee wrote: “All at Dundee Football Club are extremely shocked and saddened this morning to learn of the passing of former Dundee player Fabián Caballero.

“Fabian passed away at the age of 46 and will be greatly missed by everyone at Dundee Football Club. Fabián signed for The Dee in July 2000 and became a fan’s favourite amongst the Dundee supporters.

“The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Fabián’s family at this very sad time.

“The club will issue a full tribute to Fabián later today. Rest in peace Fabián.”

Watch hilarious moment Kyogo & Celtic teammates receive EAFC ratings

Kyogo didn’t stick around to talk about his 77 rated card (Image: Celtic TV)

Kyogo Furuhashi and many of his Celtic teammates received exclusive copies of the popular video  game – EA Sports FC (known to most as FIFA) on Friday.

The striker was certainly in no mood to discuss his rating which was attached on the front cover though, with exclusive footage from Celtic TV showing the Japanese star to literally do a runner as soon as he was handed the game.

(Image: Celtic TV)“See ya” was his words while he quickly ran up the steps inside the Hoops’ Lennoxtown training facility before finally shouting “thank you”.

Captain Callum McGregor, Greg Taylor, Auston Trusty, Paulo Bernardo, Arne Engels, Liam Scales, Adam Idah and Luke McCowan were among the others to be captured.

Some appeared to be pleased with how the developers rated them, while others expressed their shock that their stats weren’t higher.

McCowan, a Deadline Day signing from Dundee, on the other end expressed gratitude that he’d been upgraded from a bronze card this time around.

(Image: Celtic TV)“I’ll take it though,” the midfielder said after seeing his 69-rated card.

McGregor done the opposite of Kyogo and even kept Taylor beside him to dissect how they’ve fared in this year’s edition.

(Image: Celtic TV)“Greggie, get back in here,” he asks as he displays his card.

“That’s a good card mate,” Taylor replies after seeing the 79 overall gold verdict.

He got given 79 for pace, 74 for shooting, 77 for passing, 80 for dribbling, while his defensive stats merited 71 and physicality was deemed worthy of 78.

Celtic daft rapper Bemz was the host and he even questioned why the skipper’s shot attributes didn’t match his real life exploits.

He commented: “That’s harsh. I think the shooting should be better.”

Which McGregor chimed back in and said: “Well, they’ve not seen me this season, have they? I’ve scored three bangers already.”

Curious? Here’s how the entire first team squad score.

80 – Kasper Schmeichel

79 – Callum McGregor

77 – Kyogo Furuhashi

77 – Cameron Carter-Vickers

76 – Reo Hatate

75 – Alistair Johnston

74 – Greg Taylor

74 – James Forrest

74 – Luis Palma

74 – Daizen Maeda

73 – Liam Scales

73 – Adam Idah

73 – Nicolas Kuhn

72 – Arne Engels

72 – Paulo Bernardo

(Image: Celtic TV)72 – Auston Trusty

71 – Anthony Ralston

70 – Maik Nawrocki

69 – Luke McCowan

69 – Yang Hyun-jun

68 – Stephen Welsh

68 – Alex Valle

66 – Viljami Sinisalo

66 – Scott Bain

65 – Liam Shaw

64 – Odin Thiago Holm

63 – Adam Montgomery

The ‘snarling’ Celtic player that has surprised Rodgers most

Everything Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said to the media ahead of the trip to Perth to face St Johnstone…

Brendan, how’s the squad looking? What’s the latest on Cameron Carter-Vickers?

Cameron will miss out tomorrow, there’s a good headline title! He’ll miss tomorrow, he’s just got a pain in his big toe in the joint there, so we just have to look at that each game. He’s been playing with it for a little while, but we’ve got to try and manage it now because he was in pain in the Bratislava game. So hopefully it’ll settle down quite quickly and we’ll see where it’s at for Tuesday.

How confident are you? Tuesday is not going to be an issue? Do you rate his chances fairly well? Difficult to tell?

It is difficult to tell, just concentrating on this game, really, and then we’ll see after this where he’s at over Sunday, and Monday.

Alistair Johnston back training though, is he fully fit and good to go?

Yeah, it’s great. The Falkirk game gave us a chance to recover one or two of the players that had little niggles before the game and gave the opportunity for other players to come in. But yeah, he’s trained all week and been good.

For you and the players that have done this many times, that sort of focusing on the next challenge rather than looking ahead to the Champions League, you’re used to that. Is that part of the messaging for new players to get that instilled in them as well? Is that a challenge at all?

It’s not a challenge. I always think these are games of perspective and it’s how you look at them. For me and the other players, it’s pretty straightforward. It’s the next game, so we want to win the next game. That is always the challenge of being a Celtic player and being a manager. We understand the Champions League and it’s fantastic, but ultimately this is the bread and butter that gets you there. So this is an important game for us, really important, and it’s our only real focus at this moment.

Was that quite good, being able to get Auston Trusty and Stephen Welsh some game time? Last weekend, obviously with Cameron out this weekend, was a good opportunity for some of those players.

We felt that that was the case and it was never going to be as fluid as what the team had been right up until that point, but I was well aware of that. I knew the risk in that and I wanted to take the risk in that. I couldn’t criticise the players for that. Their attitude was great and those players that came into the team got some minutes in their legs. That will prove valuable for us, I’m sure, over the course of the season.

Is it sometimes harder to know what you’re going to come up against in a team that doesn’t have a permanent manager in charge?

No, I think professional players will always look to do their very best.  Clearly, it’s a shame Craig’s (Levein) now left there and a very experienced manager. Andy (Kirk) the guys that are there now are obviously holding the fort and they’ll have the team prepared and ready for the game. Clearly, if there’s a manager in place, then you know the philosophy, and the football ideas and that allows you to understand it better. I still think looking at how they play and how they’ve been, we get an idea of how they work. For us, it’s really about ourselves and bringing our rhythm to the game and making it really, really difficult for St Johnstone.

How pleased were you to see Elena’s (Sadiku) side get through to the Champions League group stages and how good is that for the club as a whole to have yourselves and the women’s side both playing in Europe’s top competition?

I’m absolutely delighted. I think you see the progress that Elena has made with her staff and with the players. It’s been absolutely fantastic. To earn the right to get into the Champions League, I’ve seen the draw. It’s all great games for them and a really exciting season ahead for them.

With Carter-Vickers, Is it a case of trying to see if this issue settles down over time or is it a more significant issue that might require more significant treatment?

No, it’s not that. It’s just the tolerance of pain. I think he’d gone through a lot and pushed him through a lot but it was not getting any better. There were signs of it. I don’t think it was getting worse but he was having to go through too much pain with it really. He’s a tough character. We just felt that it’s obviously one of those ones that with rest it will self-correct and he will be okay.

It’s all about timing, isn’t it?

Every game is important. There comes a point when I could just see within him that he just wasn’t quite at the level that he would want to be at and I would want him to be at. When it’s at that point, you want to take him out and let him recover.

With the Dortmund game on the horizon, would you be wary of playing your full-strength team or is this when you want to play your full-strength team ahead of such a game like that?

Like I said, it’s a game of perspective and for me, my look on it is that we need to win the game. We’ll put out the very best team that we possibly can to win the game. I say in the best possible way, it is a team. I say all the players as my team. We’ll pick a starting XI to go into the game. It certainly won’t be the XI that will finish it. It’s important for us to win the game and win it well and win it in the way we want to and then we can get ready, recover and get ready for Tuesday.

You won’t be facing your old captain Scott Brown tomorrow What does he make of his name being in the frame for the St Johnstone job and taking his name out of the frame? Did you speak to him at any point about it? What were your thoughts on it?

Scott’s doing a fantastic job at Ayr and he and Steven (Whittaker) and his staff are doing really well there. They’ve obviously lifted Ayr into a really good place having joined them last season. I think for Scott there’s no rush. I’ve got no doubt he’ll be a really successful manager. He went into Ayr and obviously kept them up last year and had a really good pre-season. I could see that in pre-season. They were a few weeks ahead of us but I could see the ideas of what they were trying to implement and how they’ve played. They’ve started the season very, very well. For Scott, it’s not about a club for his next step, it’s about the right club. I always think that especially when you’re a young manager, getting to the right club is important. But not if you’re already at a good club. He’s at a good club and he’s happy. I wasn’t surprised that he didn’t take it, but I’m not surprised that his name is linked with it.

I guess when you’re a young manager it’s about balancing ambition and it feels like you might want to make a move with making sure it is the right move.

I was probably in my younger days guilty of it. You’re in a rush. When I was a young manager I was in a rush to get to the Premier League because it’s the most competitive league in the world and it’s a challenge. But obviously when you can sit back and have more information and more knowledge and experience then you can probably look at it a lot clearer. I think ambition is important. I think you have to have that. But the ambition can be for the club you’re in and the people you work with as well as yourself. I just see him in a really good place. I don’t think there’s any doubt he’ll manage at the highest level. It’s all about timing and at the right time. I’m very, very confident that he will get there. But being a manager and a coach at the highest level is totally different to being a captain. Those leadership qualities will really help you of course. But there are no shortcuts. Being a top coach or a top manager you have to take your time and you have to learn and you have to find those experiences. I see him doing that very, very well at the moment.

Did you see Scott as a potential manager when you first arrived at Celtic or not until you left?

When I first arrived I didn’t know him. I only saw this snarling guy on the telly that I used to see and watch. Then when I first met him I found out he was totally different. We obviously clearly had a really, really strong relationship in our time here, which you need – your captain and your manager to be tight. At Celtic that year there were many challenges, so being together is very important. I had no doubt his leadership qualities were immense. I just felt that if he wanted to do that it’s something he could absolutely do. He had that first little taste of it at Fleetwood. He’d been really brave coming out of Scotland and going down into the lower leagues in England. He took on that challenge to understand and find that apprenticeship as a manager because that is important as well. You have to learn the trade. He’s obviously come back up to here and done a very, very good job so far. He feels and sounds like he’s in a happy place. He’ll get linked with jobs I’m pretty sure. Numbers of jobs in the future. But there’s no rush. Just take your time and work well.

Do you see anyone in your current squad now that you think is going to be a future manager?

I look at the likes of Callum McGregor. I think Callum can be a manager if he wants to be later on. It’s the big what if. I think playing and coaching and management are three totally different things. When you’re coaching you’re giving opinions and you’re working with the players. When you’re managing you’re making decisions. It’s a totalset-upferent set up. I look at the guys that I have. I’ve got some fantastic players here who in their own right may want to go down that route. But it’s not always the ones that clearly stand out that become the manager. I’m sure there are plenty of players that will tell you that they would have thought someone was going to be a manager and they’ve gone on and done ever so well. I would look at starting as a starting point and think that when the time comes for him if he wants to go down that route then he certainly shows a lot of the facets that you would need to manage and coach.

Was Scott quite receptive to the advice you gave him?

I don’t know. It’s an open conversation and all I ever do is recommend. I would never tell anyone what to do when they ask for advice. It’s just recommendations and understanding where he’s at. He knows his own mind. He knows that he’s got a few people he can reach out to just to get a different perspective.

At some point do you expect to face him in the opposition dugout?

Probably. He’s on that trajectory. If I’m still here and want it then we may well do. I’ve had it before.
I came up against Nuri Sahin on Tuesday and I had Nuri at Liverpool as a young player on loan from Real Madrid. It happens and it all happens so quickly. That’s the game. What I know about Scott is that he’s doing really, really well. He and his staff. He’s had a really good club. Having been there in the summer when we played them and meeting the owner and seeing what it is they’re trying to do. I think he knows he’s in a really good place. I think for him to manage at the top level here in Scotland it’s only a matter of time. Whether that’s with Ayr or someone else it’s a matter of time.

It’s a very tight turnaround from Saturday night to Tuesday night travelling as well. Is that a frustration, a concern? Is there anything that could have been done to alleviate that – in terms of moving fixtures?

I think for all British teams it is a frustration. I’ll watch Borussia Dortmund play tonight, they’ll play Bochum on Friday so they’re able to move the game that day early. It gives them three full days to prepare for our game and the game at home. For us, we’ll probably not be home until after midnight from the game tomorrow. Then it’s a very, very quick turnaround travel and then you’re out playing the game. I think it’s for most British teams. The TV and the slots and everything seems to take priority over the game and preparation. But we’re not the only team. That’s happened to others having seen it for a number of years. The European guys will have their slots and they’ll find agreements to help their teams prepare the best they can.

We saw the same broadcaster show Motherwell versus Dundee United last Friday night. It was a very successful turnout of fans as well. Is that something we should look at for the weekend?

Yeah, I think if there’s a Friday night slot then that would and could work well. A Friday night game can be a really good game to open up the weekend. But of course, it’s with telly and everything else.

Is there any flexibility at all up here in terms of moving fixtures? Do you find that you’re at a brick wall any time you’ve been requesting that?

I think it has to be beyond the clubs. I think there has to be something in place with the federations and then of course linking in with the TV. I think in fairness in Germany there are more Friday night slots for their TV games which means they can request that which gives them the extra recovery. It may be in the future but it’s been ongoing for years I’ve got to say. I’ve been in the Premier League and seen it there and seen it across many years. That at times takes the priority over the well-being and the preparation of footballers.

At St Johnstone last season you had a go at the players at half-time. I’m thinking about your previous spell. That was a goal you scored up there. That was one of your favourite team goals?

Yes. I think firstly at the point when we arrived there last year when I was there we definitely weren’t on the same page. But that’s my job as the manager to ensure that we were and that our standard was better than that. I look at the second-half response and then I look to where we’re at now a year later. We’re in a much different place. The team’s gone in the direction I wanted to go in. Playing with the intent and the technicality and the physicality and the coordination and the hunger in the team. It’s night and day from that first-half performance last season. We’ve done well up there in my time going to St Johnstone I’ve always enjoyed going there but purely the supporters there. We scored some fantastic goals like the one you mentioned. I think James Forrest scored four goals in one half of a game which was an incredible achievement for a player. In all of that, you have to work really hard.  It doesn’t just come to you. I think for us the mantra right over the course of this pre-season and into this season is to make our organisation and our attitude and our talent really difficult for the other team. If we can show all of those things and bring that into the game then it can be a difficult game for an opponent. That’s what our aim is again. The goals you mentioned were fantastic goals and some really good goals that day.

Brendan, Craig and Steven have just lost their job within a few days. Do you have much of a grace period?

No, I think it’s a shame. For Craig, he’s a really experienced manager and he dips in and out of the media and has done other roles. For him, it won’t be a surprise. Sometimes no matter how well you can be doing if an owner wakes up one morning and you’re not to be the manager then you’re out. It’s as simple as that. All you can do is do your best. For Steven in his first job, there’s always empathy there for a coach and a manager. It’s one of those ones where he’ll go away and learn from that experience. He was a fantastic player. Steven had a really good career in the game, moved into coaching and then into the lead role. He’ll go away and look at it and find the areas in which he can be better in and develop and improve and then for sure he’ll come back in his next job and be a better manager. Sometimes it takes that. It’s not nice when it comes but the strength is then going again and learning from it. That’s the guys that succeed in the game. When you can pick yourself up, identify where you could have been better alongside all the good things that worked really well. I looked at Hearts last year and I thought they were very good, very well coached, good idea of the game and finished third in the league and did really well. Sometimes the momentum at the beginning of a season just didn’t quite go with them and then all of a sudden you’re on the back end of what he had lost. I never felt they were as bad as that but sometimes people feel the need to change and they did do.

‘You’re Going to be a Celtic Player’ – Watch Luke McCowan Sharing Incredibly Emotional Moment

Luke McCowan, a lifelong Celtic supporter, shared an emotional story during a special event between Celtic and JD, where a select group of fans had the opportunity to put questions to some of the players in attendance. McCowan, who joined Celtic from Dundee in the summer transfer window, delivered a heartfelt moment that resonated with every fan in the room.

When asked about how he found out he was going to be a Celtic player, McCowan recalled the life-changing moment that happened on transfer deadline day. In what sounded like a scene straight out of a football fan’s dream, the winger explained how Dundee boss Tony Docherty summoned him into his office and extended his hand. “You’re going to be a Celtic player,” Docherty told him.

Soccer Football – Scottish Premiership – Celtic v Rangers – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – September 1, 2024 Celtic’s Luke McCowan reacts REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

For McCowan, it was a dream realised – and the emotions quickly overwhelmed him. “I thing I started greetin’,” he admitted, describing himself as “a bit of a mess” in that moment. Having grown up as a die-hard Celtic fan, both he and his family had always dreamed of this day, at times, he must have had feared the opportunity might never come.

Now, with that dream firmly in his grasp, McCowan has already made his mark at the club, even opening his goal-scoring account for the Hoops. His journey from dreaming of playing for Celtic to becoming a fully-fledged member of the squad is a story that has clearly struck a chord with fans, who see Luke as living everyone of our dreams

For the supporters lucky enough to hear Luke’s story first-hand, it was a powerful reminder of what playing for Celtic means – not just for the players but for the fans who live and breathe every moment. McCowan’s rise to playing in the famous green and white is a dream come true, and a moment that will stay with him and the fans for a long time to come.

Report: I played for Falkirk at Celtic Park but couldn’t take a jersey because Connor Barron told me not to

Ethan Ross joked his Rangers pal Barron wouldn’t allow him to take a Celtic player’s jersey

Ethan Ross and John McGlynn at Celtic Park (Image: PA)

Ethan Ross said he was under orders from Rangers pal Connor Barron not to leave Parkhead with a Celtic star’s jersey. But he admits a battle with Alfie Agyeman for a Falkirk one will only fuel him as he seeks to take a strip off his old Raith pals.

Ross got the last 15 minutes of the Bairns’ Premier Sports Cup defeat at Parkhead after Agyeman got the nod to start. Boss John McGlynn admitted he’s attempting a balancing act, with both showing their potential to compensate for sidelined Callumn Morrison.

With Ross MacIver ruled out at Stark’s Park, both could have a big part to play as Falkirk seek to make it six wins from six. Asked if he at least left Parkhead with a shirt he could auction off years down the line, Ross, 23, laughed and said: “No, no, no, absolutely not. One of my good pals, Connor Barron, has just moved to Rangers so he told me I wasn’t allowed to get a Celtic jersey!

“He is doing brilliant right now. Making that move wasn’t an easy choice for him but everyone close to him supports him and you can tell it’s paying off for him.

“It’s competition for places here. I wasn’t happy with how many games I played last season but you take a step back, look at it and see how well Calvin Miller did and Callumn were doing. This season is a bit different with Callumn not being available through illness, so I try to take my chance when I get it.

“I thought I did well in the games I played. The gaffer has given Alfie the nod the past two games but I am ready to come on and impress. I want to play games. This will be the first time I’ve played Raith. I’m looking forward to it and seeing some familiar faces. But it’s game mode on and I’ll be ready to walk off the pitch with three points.”

A goal or assist would do wonders, especially as brother Seb has scored twice for Peterhead to Ethan’s once this term. He added: “He’s started well, I told him it’s a marathon not a sprint so he’s got to keep that up!

“We try to push each other. Every season we say whoever gets the most does whatever at the end of the season. He’s trying to say ‘Pays for a holiday’ at the end of this year so it’s a big competition between us! After my games when I get a chance to go on my phone in the changing room, the first score I’m checking is his.”

Meanwhile, Fankaty Dabo hopes he can fall in love with the game again in Kirkcaldy following a difficult period on and off the pitch. The right-back could make his Raith debut today after joining Neill Collins’ side on a deal until January earlier this week.

He is desperate to make the most of the move after being subjected to racial abuse when he missed a crucial shootout penalty for Coventry in the in the Championship play-off final defeat to Luton last year. And at Forest Green Rovers last season, Dabo was also singled out for an ‘awful’ performance by then boss Troy Deeney. But the 28-year-old is hoping he can create some happy memories in Fife.

He said: “I know the club as I have a few Scottish friends but the manager called me and sold me a project and I was like, ‘yeah’. I want to get back to enjoying my football and enjoying the people I’m playing with. I almost lost my love for football, but I’m perked back up here and it’s good.

“I’ve learned there is always another day and another game. You still have team-mates and managers who rely on you and you have food to put on the table.”

Raith are looking to kick-start their season and, despite only just joining them, Dabo is confident Collins’ side can start climbing the table. He added: “We have to produce a performance and make sure we start the climb and get back to where we need to be. Hopefully I can put in some big performances.”

THE JOCK STEIN YEARS: Part Seventeen

CELTIC legend Jock Stein had an extraordinary impact on the Parkhead club after returning as manager in March 1965.

In another CQN EXCLUSIVE,  Alex Gordon, author of fifteen publications on Celtic, has opened his book files on the Parkhead great for an absorbing twenty-one part series.

Today, in Part Seventeen of our fascinating look back at these landmark times in the annals of fame at a momentous football club, we  continue as Big Jock sees his team fail to make it ten in a row as the history-making run comes to a sad end.

ALAS, Celtic’s grip on the nation’s crown was loosened in season 1974/75. As they say, all good things must come to an end.

However, a double success in the domestic Cups went some way to consoling the fans. Celtic lost nine of their thirty-four league games, including home-and-away setbacks against Rangers, who claimed their first championship in eleven years.

The Ibrox men completed the course with fifty-six points, Hibs were second on forty-nine and Celtic were a further four points behind them.

The drama of European competition wasn’t quite as extreme as the previous season and the club failed to clear the first hurdle, losing 3-1 on aggregate to the Greeks of Olympiakos. The mumbled words of Bob Dylan summed it up, ‘The times they are a-changin’.

Thankfully, though, there was normal service in the League Cup Final in October when Dixie Deans put on a repeat performance of his 1972 Scottish Cup hat-trick against Hibs. The chunky frontman rattled three behind Jim McArthur and Jimmy Johnstone, Stevie Murray and Paul Wilson added the others in a fabulous, stirring 6-3 triumph.

Graham Barclay won’t be a name most Celtic supporters will recognise, but he became another of the one-game goalkeepers when he played in the 4-1 Scottish Cup second round win over Clydebank.

Like Willie Goldie, Dick Madden, Jack Kennedy and Bobby Wraith in the sixties, he enjoyed his ninety minutes of fame and then vanished. Celtic had already beaten Hibs 2-0 in the first round before dismissing the Kilbowie side and then Dumbarton 2-1 in the quarter-final.

It took a goal from Ronnie Glavin, the prolific midfielder who cost £60,000 from Partick Thistle, to edge past Dundee in the semi-final. Airdrie were the Hampden opponents and were being written off by many, but Stein had three words for his troops before the game, ‘Remember Partick Thistle.’

The words might not have meant a lot to nine of the team; Kenny Dalglish and Harry Hood were the only survivors from the 4-1 debacle of the previous three years. Missing, for a variety of reasons, were Evan Williams, Davie Hay, Tommy Gemmell, George Connelly, Bobby Murdoch, Jim Brogan, Jimmy Johnstone, Tommy Callaghan and Lou Macari. Substitute Jim Craig had also been erased from the picture.

In were Peter Latchford, Danny McGrain, Andy Lynch, Stevie Murray, Pat McCluskey, Ronnie Glavin, Bobby Lennox, Paul Wilson and Billy McNeill, who had missed the Thistle encounter through injury. Aye, the times they are a-changin’ right enough.

Celtic eased to a relatively comfortable 3-1 victory over Airdrie with Wilson notching two fine opportunist efforts and McCluskey claiming the other with a well-driven penalty-kick.

The only scare came when Airdrie’s self-confessed Celtic fan Kevin McCann walloped an unstoppable equaliser high past Latchford, another keeper brought to the club by Stein as the search continued for the long-term replacement for Ronnie Simpson.

The Celtic fans celebrating the victory over Airdrie didn’t realise they were witnessing the last performance from skipper supreme Billy McNeill. The thirty-five-year-old icon had decided to get out at the top after serving eighteen years and making 790 appearances for his one and only club.

It’s maybe just as well the supporters in the 75,457 crowd hadn’t a clue about their captain’s momentous decision. It may have taken a day or two of encores from McNeill before they dispersed.

At least, now a loyal servant might have some spare time to visit Fort Knox and count his medals, all twenty-three of them and, remember, he won the sum total of zilch in his first seven years as a top team mainstay.

Not bad for a late starter. McNeill collected nine league championships, seven Scottish Cups, six League Cups and, of course, the coveted and cherished European Cup. He also picked up twenty-nine international caps, turned out nine times for the Scottish League and made five appearances as a fresh-faced youth with the Under-23s.

Any regrets? ‘Actually, I do,’ answered McNeill many years later. ‘I think I quit playing a bit too early. I felt fit enough to go on for at least another year, maybe two. I discussed it with Big Jock and he thought I should go out a winner. I took his advice. On that occasion, I wish I hadn’t.’

A week before the Scottish Cup triumph, Jimmy Johnstone played in the final league game of the season, a 2-1 defeat against St.Johnstone in Perth. It was the last time the famous green and white hoops would adorn his 5ft 4in frame and it was hardly the fitting end to a spectacular career for a born entertainer who had thrilled the world with his exclusive box of tricks.

The winger, at the age of thirty, took his skills across the Atlantic to enthral a whole new appreciative audience at San Jose Earthquakes in the North American League. He left with a similar medal haul as his skipper; nineteen in all.

He won nine leagues, four Scottish Cups, five League Cups and, of course, the precious prize from Lisbon.

It’s impossible to mention his name without smiling at the legacy he left behind. Wee Jinky was a complete one-off.

TOMORROW: THE JOCK STEIN YEARS: PART EIGHTEEN: A year of change.

Arsenal, Manchester City and Celtic all progress to Champions League group stage

Beth Mead and Lia Walti (13) both scored this evening for Arsenal

Arsenal turned around their Women’s Champions League round two tie against BK Hacken to join Manchester City and Celtic in the group stages of the competition.

Arsenal started the night 1-0 down to their Swedish visitors on aggregate but ultimately made light work of it with goals from Lia Walti, Mariona Caldentey, Beth Mead and Frida Maanum in a 4-0 win on the night.

Walti got things level on aggregate 23 minutes in with a powerful drive from distance and Arsenal had their noses in front nine minutes later. Mead was denied but Stina Blackstenius got the ball to Caldentey to apply the finish.

Mead bagged the third four minutes into the second half before Maanum made sure of progress with 12 minutes to play, with Ireland international Katie McCabe playing the full game for the Gunners.

City cruised through with a 3-0 win over Paris sealing an 8-0 aggregate win, with Gareth Taylor able to rest many of his senior players in the second half.

His side needed only two minutes to take the lead in windy conditions in east Manchester, with Khadija Shaw charging down Paris goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnodizie before teeing up Chloe Kelly to apply the finish.

Kelly then saw her shot palmed onto the angle of the post and crossbar before Shaw added a second in the 31st minute, with Kelly cutting the ball back from the byline.

Clara Mateo hit the post for Paris late in the half but Shaw finished things off from the penalty spot in the second half after being tripped in the box.

Celtic created Scottish club history this evening

Celtic, with a team featuring Irish international Caitlin Hayes, became the first Scottish side to reach the group stages of the competition with a 2-0 win over Ukrainian side Vorskla Poltova sealing a 3-0 aggregate win.

After a poor first half, Emma Lawton headed in her first Celtic goal from Lucy Ashworth-Clifford’s cross in the 52nd minute before Shannon McGregor headed in a second 10 minutes later.

Former Cork City and Shelbourne striker Saoirse Noonan was brought on as a late substitute for the Hoops.

 

Arsenal, Man City and Celtic qualify for Champions League group stage

Ireland international Katie McCabe registered an assist as the Gunners recovered from a first-leg defeat.

ARSENAL, CELTIC and Manchester City recorded handsome home wins in the second leg of round two qualifying of the Women’s Champions League on Thursday to book their places in the draw for the group stage.

Arsenal welcomed Hacken to Borehamwood trailing 1-0 after suffering a defeat on the road to the Swedes last Wednesday.

But strikes by Lia Waelti and new signing Mariona Caldentey inside 40 minutes gave Jonas Eidevall’s side the lead before the break.

Beth Mead and Frida Maanum then put the tie beyond Hacken’s reach as Arsenal ran out 4-0 winners.

Ireland international Katie McCabe started and registered an assist for the third goal.

Manchester City went into their home leg with a comfortable 5-0 advantage after a dominant first-leg display in Paris last week.

A goal after two minutes by England striker Chloe Kelly effectively ended any hopes of an unlikely Paris FC comeback, before Khadija Shaw scored just after the half-hour and hour marks to seal a 3-0 win.

17-year-old Irish midfielder Eve O’Carroll made the bench for the hosts.

Real Madrid won 3-1 at home to Sporting Lisbon, with a brace either side of half-time by Sandie Toletti and a goal in second-half stoppage time from Alba Redondo easing the Spaniards to a three-goal winning margin over both legs.

Last season’s semi-finalists Paris Saint-Germain failed to overturn their first-leg deficit against Juventus as they lost 2-1 at home to the Italians on the night, and 5-2 on aggregate.

Roma emerged 10-3 aggregate winners as they overpowered Swiss side Servette Chenois 7-2 in the return fixture in Geneva.

Dutch club Twente romped into the group stage, scoring four goals in both ties against Croatia’s Osijek on their way to an aggregate win of 8-1.

St Polten of Austria won 5-0 in Slovenia against Mura to complete an impressive 8-0 aggregate win.

Celtic won 2-0 against visitors Vorskla of Ukraine to go through 3-0 on aggregate.

Caitlin Hayes played the full game while fellow Irish international Saoirse Noonan made an 85th-minute appearance off the bench.

On Wednesday, two-time champions Wolfsburg, Norwegians Valerenga, Sweden’s Hammarby and Galatasaray sealed their places in the tournament proper.

Lyon, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and holders Barcelona all automatically qualified for the group stage of the Women’s Champions League.

Now that all 16 group-stage spots have been decided, the draw will take place in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday.

– © AFP 2024

Celtic and Rangers legends set to star in award-winning play

Former Celtic and Rangers heroes, Simon Donnelly and Charlie Miller, have shared how they are feeling ahead of their on-stage acting debuts next year.

Scott Kyle from Singin I’m No a Billy He’s a Tim with Simon Donnelly and Charlie Miller (Image: John Cooper)

Two Celtic and Rangers legends are swapping the football pitch for the stage as they make their acting debuts in the award-winning play Singin’ I’m No A Billy He’s A Tim.

Former Old Firm rivals, Simon Donnelly and Charlie Miller, will step into cameo roles as prisoners on April 19 at the Ingliston Estate and Country Club hotel in what promises to be a memorable night for football and theatre fans alike.

The play, a Scottish hit, explores the deep-seated rivalry between Celtic and Rangers fans in a humorous yet poignant way, focusing on two characters – a Celtic fan and a Rangers supporter – who are locked in a prison cell on the day of an Old Firm match.

The addition of Donnelly and Miller to the cast is expected to add a new layer of excitement to the performance, especially with a Q&A session with the football legends taking place after the show.

Charlie Miller celebrates with Mark Hately during his Rangers pomp

For Charlie Miller, who spent a significant part of his career playing for Rangers, the opportunity came as something of a surprise.

“I was up north doing coaching with Simon when I was approached to do the show by Scott Kyle,” Miller explained. “I told him, ‘Of course I would’.”

The show’s producer and star, Scott Kyle, grew up in the same area as the two footballers and jumped at the chance to involve them in his play. “The hotel wanted to stage the show with an Old Firm legends night Q&A, and I instantly thought it would be fantastic to have them in cameo parts as convicts.”

Top news stories today

Miller, who made a cameo appearance in the film The Angels’ Share, alongside Scott, joked about his previous acting experience. “I had to knock back an Oscar for my role,” he laughed.

“Acting wasn’t for me at the time. People think it might be easy, but it isn’t. It’s just great to be that close to these guys at the top of their game.”

While Miller admits he was out of his comfort zone when filming, he’s confident that appearing on stage will be less nerve-wracking.

He continued: “I won’t be nervous about being in front of a live audience as I’ve played in front of that for 20-plus years, including Old Firm games. Acting will be different, but we will only have a small part, so we should be alright.”

Simon Donnelly celebrates first goal May 1998 for Celtic during the game against Dunfermline Athletic (Image: Press Association)

Celtic’s 10-in-a-row stopping star Simon Donnelly shares a similar enthusiasm for the upcoming show, despite some nerves creeping in.

He said: “I’d like to think I knew what I was doing when I was playing football, but this is totally out of my comfort zone, so there probably will be a few butterflies.

“Charlie and I go back a long way. We played together for Glasgow schools before Celtic and Rangers, and now we do coaching camps together.

“Since I retired from football, I’ve done lots of different things, and this will be another one of those. I still haven’t seen the play, although I have been meaning to, but it will be great fun, I imagine. Us being in it will be a different experience for people.”

For Scott Kyle, who plays Ross the Rangers fan in Singin’ I’m No A Billy He’s A Tim, having Donnelly and Miller involved in the show is a dream come true.

“I’ve known them both for years as we’re all from the same area. When Charlie was at Rangers he would come and play with my pals and me when we were just wee boys. Plus, Simon only went to school around the corner from me.

“In that time, they won their football trophies, so it’s fantastic of them to accompany me in my realm where I’ve received accolades.”

Both Donnelly and Miller have had illustrious football careers. Donnelly, who spent seven years at Celtic, was a fan favourite known for his versatility and skill. He made over 140 league appearances for the club, scoring 30 goals in those games and winning the Scottish Premier League title in 1998.

Old Firm stars Simon Donnelly and Charlie Miller running a football camp (Image: Contributed)

After leaving Celtic, he played on and is now involved in various football coaching camps, including those with Miller.

Miller, meanwhile, is a product of the Rangers youth system and was a key figure in the club’s nine-in-a-row Scottish league triumphs during the 1990s.

Like Donnelly, he’s stayed connected to football through coaching camps and regular appearances at Rangers legends events.

With the play set to combine comedy, drama, and a touch of football nostalgia, the night promises to be a unique experience for all in attendance. As Miller put it, “It will be something different to the usual Old Firm legend Q&A’s and something people will love.”

Celtic FC Women have qualified for the UEFA Women’s Champions League group stage for the very first time in the club’s history with a 3-0 aggregate win over Ukrainian champions Vorskla Poltava.

Holding a 1-0 lead after Sunday’s first leg, Elena Sadiku’s side superbly finished the job on Thursday night in Airdrie thanks to goals from Emma Lawton and Shannon McGregor.

It’s the first time a Scottish side has qualified for this group stage format and represents a big step forward for the project at Celtic. It’ll be a fantastic representation for the club and the SWPL as a whole.

Celtic overcome nerves to show their Champions League class

It was a nervy, tense opening 45 minutes at the start of tonight’s second leg. Celtic and Vorskla went into the interval with the tie still very much in the balance.

However, Sadiku inspired her charges to come out and attack the game in the second half.

The breakthrough came after fine work from Lucy Ashworth-Clifford, who got the bye line and delivered a tempting cross for Lawton to expertly head home in the 52nd minute.

Then, 11 minutes later, Murphy Agnew delivered a menacing ball for McGregor to fire home from close range, putting the tie beyond all doubt.

That effectively killed things off as a contest but the Ghirls showed their professionalism to see through the result, even threatening to fire in more goals late on.

They undoubtedly deserve their place in a massive group stage against the best that the continent has to offer.

Women’s Champions League draw details as Celtic enter

Sadiku said before the match that Celtic qualifying for the groups would put the club “on the map” in women’s football and her team now join an elite line-up.

Only 16 teams make it through to the next stage, consisting of four groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group then qualify for the quarter-finals.

The draw takes place tomorrow Friday 27th September at noon.

Celtic will join last year’s champions Barcelona as well as Lyon, Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Juventus, St Polten, Roma, Valerenga, Hammarby, Galatasaray and the other Round 2 winners.

There are six matchdays, taking place between October and December with all matches finished by the week before Christmas.

The knockout rounds will then follow from March 2025.

 

James Tavernier breaks Rangers silence on post Celtic fan abuse as captain insists ‘I’m a strong character’

The defender was quizzed for the first time on his post-Old Firm confrontation with a raging Gers fan

Rangers captain James Tavernier

Resilient James Tavernier has shrugged off his confrontation with a raging Rangers fan in the wake of a painful Old Firm defeat.

The Ibrox captain starred tonight as Gers beat Malmo 2-0 to record their first-ever win against Swedish opposition at the seventh attempt. Tavernier, 32, was over the moon with the result as Philippe Clement’s side made it three wins on the bounce without conceding.

Celtic’s rampant start to the campaign has sparked fears among the Light Blues faithful that they won’t be able to compete with the reigning champions. Tavernier felt the wrath of a fuming punter after the 3-0 defeat at Celtic Park earlier this month. The clip went viral on social media and asked about it for the first time, the skipper told TNT Sports: “It’s part and parcel.

“I’m at the front, I’m the captain and I’ve got to be there to take the criticism and when we’re doing well take the good things out of it as well. No, I’m a strong character and I can always continue with whatever comes my way. The fans obviously showed great support after it and we as a team have just got to move in the right direction and just keep pushing forward.”

Tavernier was delighted to be able to put smiles back on supporters’ faces tonight as he said: “Our fans always require us to win games no matter who it is. You see the fans coming over today and fans watching back home who want us to put a performance in and we did that tonight.”

It was without a doubt Rangers’ best performance of the season on a night where the Glasgow giants could have put FIVE past the Swedish champions. But Tavernier hopes the Europa League triumph will help breathe fresh positivity into the Rangers camp.

He said: “Yeah, we’re continuing to work hard on the training pitch. We’re getting stronger as a team. We’ve got a young squad who are really gelling in. We want to keep this momentum going, put in the performances and get stronger and stronger. I thought it was a great result for us.”

Shock return to Celtic starting XI touted for star who’s played five minutes this season amid injury concern

The Celtic star hasn’t featured much. | SNS Group

A return to the Celtic team could beckon for a frozen-out ace.

A Celtic star’s return to the starting XI has been mooted amid an injury concern at Parkhead.

Maik Nawrocki has failed to nail down a place in Brendan Rodgers’ team and his five-minute cameo against Falkirk last weekend are the only minutes he’s had this season. He has Cameron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales, Auston Trusty and Stephen Welsh for competition at the back.

Amid an injury to Carter-Vickers prior to a Premiership trip to St Johnstone this weekend, club hero Frank McAvennie reckons Rodgers could turn to Nawrocki instead of summer signing Trusty. Carter-Vickers’ metatarsal injury isn’t one he deems serious but the return of Nawrocki pleased the ex-striker.

McAvennie told Football Insider: “I don’t know how bad it is, there are different ways you can hurt your metatarsal. It’s going to depend on how bad it is, they won’t tell you, not a chance they’ll tell you but it could be just a week or so which would be alright.

“If he’s not playing at the weekend he’ll play Trusty and Scales, two left-sided unless he puts Nawrocki on, he’s brought Nawrocki back into the fold which I was pleased to see.

“You can never have too many centre halves so I was pleased to see that, it’s going to be a long hard season and I think everyone is going to get used well. The future is bright as they say.”

Rodgers said of Carter-Vickers’ injury last weekend when Celtic won 5-2 against Falkirk in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final: “Cam has been suffering a wee bit with his metatarsal, below his big toe. We gave it a little bit of a period earlier on, a few weeks back, and he was okay.”

“He’s got a little bit sore, obviously playing back-to-back games, which is why we’ve given him today free. So, we’ll just assess that and see how that is later in the week.”

Rangers star ‘strong’ enough to take vicious Celtic flak as Philippe Clement seethes over passport bungle

Captain speaks in wake of 2-0 win over Malmo

Rangers captain James Tavernier says he is “strong” enough to take criticism from the club’s fanbase.

The Ibrox right-back helped Rangers kick off their Europa League campaign away at Malmo with a 2-0 win, although the line of questioning from TNT Sports turned to events after the first Old Firm match at the start of this month, when Celtic defeated the Gers 3-0 at Parkhead. In the aftermath, Tavernier was heckled and verbally abused by some fans at Ibrox when the team returned from the defeat across the city.

Tavernier was quizzed on the furious reaction towards him and he said: “It’s part and parcel. I am at the front, as captain. I’ve got to take the criticism and obviously when we are doing well we take the good things out of it as well.

“No. I’m a strong character and I can always continue no matter what comes my way. The fans obviously showed great support. As a team, we just have to move in the right direction and keep pushing forward.”

James Tavernier captained Rangers to a 2-0 win over Malmo. | TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP via Getty Ima

Tavernier was impressive as skipper as Rangers defeated Swedish opposition for the first time in the club’s history on Thursday at the Eleda Stadion. “We had the chances to score more but we’re also delighted with the clean sheet,” the Englishman continued. “We knew they would be strong on set-pieces but I felt we dug deep to limit their chances.

“To get two goals away from home, a clean sheet and three points is a good start. We continue to work hard. We get stronger as a team. We have a young squad but they are gelling. It was a good display from us. We saw the fans coming over and we wanted to put a performance in.”

The only downside for manager Philippe Clement was the absence of Moroccan striker Hamza Igamane, who was a glaring omission from the team. Stating his unhappiness at the situation, Clement revealed that “an issue with his passport” stopped him from travelling to Malmo.

“I am clearly not happy with that, there were issues with his passport,” said Clement. “Those are situations that you don’t want to face as a manager but I want to focus on the football and the good things of this day.”

The Rangers player take the acclaim of the visiting support. | TT NEWS AGENCY/AFP via Getty Ima

Assessing Rangers’ performance in Sweden, which was crowned by goals from Nedim Bajrami and Ross McCausland, Clement continued: “In quality yes but in finishing not. It could have been perfection if we scored the three goals in the first half that we deserved, so we need to finish it off in that way. It’s not errors, its part of football and I see the best players in the world not scoring with every chance.

“It’s important that we create them and that the players are focused. We will keep working on that to make the quality better in our squad and to be more decisive. I think it was a good example with our second goal. A few months ago he [McCausland] didn’t have power or quality to shoot with his left foot but he has been working every day to improve that with the staff. And because he did that he scored this very important goal.”

Worth more than Engels: Celtic star has seen his value rise 500% since exit

Ange Postecoglou‘s tenure at Celtic was one of notable highs and few lows, with the attack-minded coach having managed to combine spectacular football with a winning formula during a glittering two-year stint in charge.

One of the key facets of the 59-year-old’s time at the helm was his canny recruitment, with the Greek-Aussie overseeing the signings of the likes of Jota and Matt O’Riley, in particular – two players who have since raked in roughly £25m each across the last two summer transfer windows.

In truth, there are few examples of where the one-time Yokohama boss got it wrong in the transfer market – James McCarthy notwithstanding – having fashioned a competitive and exciting squad prior to his departure last year.

One potential oversight, however, may have been the failure to keep hold of a certain Ryan Christie, with the Scotland star having shone since departing Parkhead in 2021.

Ryan Christie’s record at Celtic

Plucked from Inverness Caledonian Thistle back in 2015, it wasn’t until the 2018/19 season that Christie truly established himself in the first-team setup in Glasgow, having previously spent 18 months on loan at Aberdeen, where he registered 33 goals and assists in just 57 games.

The elegant left-footer continued that red-hot form upon his return to his parent club, chalking up 85 goal involvements in just over 150 games over the next few years.

That return included a particularly impressive 2019/20 campaign as the 54-cap international reached double figures for both goals and assists in the Premiership, marking himself out as the man to make the difference as the link between the midfield and the attack.

Another 22 goals and assists followed in all competitions in the following season, although that proved to be his last full campaign at the club, as he became one of many to depart, alongside the likes of Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer, during Postecoglou’s first summer in charge.

Having had just a year left on his deal at the time, club legend Chris Sutton suggested that the Hoops “should be doing everything they possibly can to tie him down on a new deal”, while also writing that Christie looked to be the ‘perfect player’ for Postecoglou’s way of playing.

As it was, the talented midfielder joined Edouard and Ajer in heading down south after sealing a move to AFC Bournemouth for just £2.5m – a figure that now looks like a bargain for the Cherries considering his impact since then.

Christie’s market value in 2024

Now 29, the experienced ace is not the attacking machine that he once was during his days in Glasgow, having registered just 20 goals and assists during his 124-game stint at the Vitality Stadium.

Instead, however, Christie has been repurposed by current boss Andoni Iraola as more of a deep-lying option in midfield, having been hailed by the Spaniard as the “most tactically intuitive player” in the Bournemouth squad.

Also described as a “manager’s dream” by Sutton back in December, the £70k-per-week asset helped to steer his current side to a respectable 12th-place finish in the Premier League last season, showcasing his ability both in and out of possession, as illustrated by his duel-winning prowess and knack for creating chances for his teammates.

Christie’s 2023/24 PL season in numbers

37 games (35 starts)

0 goals

5 assists

10 ‘big chances’ created

1.5 key passes per game

1.4 interceptions per game

2.3 tackles per game

6.2 balls recovered per game

1.4 successful dribbles per game

47% total duels won

12.4x possession lost per game

Stats via Sofascore

That importance to the south coast side has unsurprisingly been reflected by his soaring value in recent times, with Football Transfers suggesting that the midfield “maverick” – as hailed by his former boss John Hughes – could now be worth as much as £15m.

Not only does that place him higher than the £11m spent on Celtic’s club record buy, Arne Engels, but it also represents a rise of 500% in relation to his initial £2.5m exit fee, showcasing that the Old Firm side did perhaps move him on far too cheaply.

Of course, Christie’s contract situation at the time did not help matters, but generating a bigger fee for a player of such talent would have been the ideal scenario.

Alas, the Hoops have still thrived in the years since regardless, with the likes of O’Riley and now new man Engels – who already has four goals and assists to his name – taking on that creative mantle in Christie’s place.

McGinn reveals Celtic complacency over 2017 transfer collapse

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – MARCH 25: John McGinn of Scotland celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying round group A match between Scotland and Cyprus at Hampden Park on March 25, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Stephen McGinn has revealed how complacency might have played a part in Celtic’s failed pursuit of John McGinn. In 2017, after McGinn impressed under Neil Lennon’s management, it appeared inevitable that the boyhood Celtic supporter would join with Brendan Rodgers’ Double Treble winners.

Speaking to Open Goal, Stephen told Si Ferry & Co that the family expected a deal to take place and that only Celtic were interested in the dynamic midfielder.

“I remember watching the games against Celtic and thinking ‘surely they are going to take him as a no-risk.

“That was basically what we thought was going to happen because it was only Celtic that were in really. I think Celtic had wind of that as well.

“I remember the agents saying that if Villa get the transfer embargo sorted, then they are coming in.”

It appears that Stephen is suggesting that Celtic were complacent in their interest of McGinn, who now captains Villa. Celtic refused to meet the modest asking price set by Hibernian, which allowed for Villa to sneak in. The player and Brendan were said to be expecting a deal to take place, having supposedly met to discuss his role under the Irishman.

Steve Bruce’s Villa managed to get their affairs in order allowing a bid for the player. It happened quickly with the bid launched, accepted and McGinn travelling down to Birmingham to complete his medical and sign for the Championship side. It occurred on the evening that Celtic drew with AEK Athens in the Champions League Qualifiers as Rodgers’ discontent was evident.

Celtic secure €400,000 for UWCL group stage qualification

Celtic Women v Vorskla Poltava Women UEFA Womens Champions League 26/09/2024. Celtic FC during the UEFA Womens Champions League match between Celtic Women and Vorskla Poltava Women at Albert Bartlett Stadium, on 26 September 2024. Photo Colin Poultney PSI

Celtic 2-0 FK Vorskla Poltava (3-0 on aggregate)…

Arsenal beat BK Hacken this evening 4-0 to qualify 4-1 on aggregate. Juventus won 2-1 away to PSG to add to their 3-1 home win, so go through 5-2 on aggregate.

Real Madrid came back from being a goal down to Sporting CP to win 3-1 and qualify 5-2 on aggregate. Manchester City cruised past Paris FC 3-0 tonight and 5-0 on aggregate.

Roma went into the away match at Servette Chenois with a 3-1 lead. The Italians wanted more and recorded a remarkable 7-2 away win to go through 10-3 on aggregate…

Meanwhile over at Airdrie’s Excelsior Stadium Celtic secured a hard-fought 2-0 home win over FK Vorskla Poltava this evening, making it a 3-0 win for the Scottish Champions to take their place in the UEFA Women’s Champions League via the qualifiers.

The other sides already through are Champions of the big league so they avoided the qualifiers. So there’s going to be no easy games for the Hoops who tonight made history for Scottish football. Have a look below…

These are the four pots for tomorrow’s draw…

Pot 1: Barcelona (ESP, holders), Lyon (FRA), Bayern München (GER), Chelsea (ENG)

Pot 2: Wolfsburg (GER), Arsenal (ENG), Real Madrid (ESP), Manchester City (ENG)

Pot 3: Juventus (ITA), St. Pölten (AUT), Roma (ITA), Twente (NED)

Pot 4: Vålerenga (NOR), Celtic (SCO), Hammarby (SWE), Galatasaray (TUR)

What a remarkable job Elena Sadiku has done at Celtic, utilising her squad from top to bottom to get the maximum output. Those who doubted her team selections will be all be onside and fully aboard the Sadiku bandwagon.

After a bright start in the opening minutes Celtic seemed to retreat into a shell to protect their first leg 1-0 advantage. The Ukrainian Champions pressed Celtic high and were fierce in their tackling, Daugherty wasn’t really tested in the Celtic goal but the play was invariably coming towards her and it made for an uncomfortable first 45 minutes for the Celtic supprort.

Elena Sadiku demanded more from her team in the second half and the players certainly delivered. It was a much better showing with Emma Lawton absolutely outstanding and a worthy Player of the Match. Two weeks ago Lawton was a Partick Thistle player and she probably would have been on the bench this evening, coming in as a replacement for Hana Kerner who sprained her wrist at the weekend. Lawton’s powerful and determined forays down the right wing were causing mayhem.

And when Lucy Ashworth Cifford, five minutes after the break, found some room on the left wing her perfect cross was met by Lawton who headed into the corner to effectively win the tie for the Scottish Champions.

Tadhal do Celtic! ‘S e Emma Lawton!

Emma Lawton gives Celtic the lead, they lead 2-0 over the two legs! pic.twitter.com/lz3jO010ye

— BBC ALBA (@bbcalba) September 26, 2024

Shannon McGregor, a summer signing from Hibs, headed a second to put the outcome beyond the Ukranians and propel Celtic into the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Tadhal do Celtic! ‘S e Shannon McGregor!

McGregor gives Celtic a 3 goal lead in the UWCL! pic.twitter.com/AbPbOSPOdv

— BBC ALBA (@bbcalba) September 26, 2024

The Celtic celebrations after the final whistle were a thing to behold, almost a mini-version of the Celtic post match celebrations at Hampden back in May after the Scottish Cup final over theRangers.

Michael Nicholson, Celtic’s CEO and Chris McKay, the club’s Chief Financial officer, were both in the crowd and will now be able to look at the Celtic FC Women’s side adding yet more money to the club’s coffers.

Celtic this evening secured €400,000 as a base allocation for each group-stage team.

Teams will earn €50,000 per win in the group stage, and €17,000 per draw.

There’s a €20,000 bonus for winning their group and €160,000 for qualification for the quarter-finals, plus €180,000 for qualification for the semi-finals. The teams making it to the final receive €200,000 for the runner-up and €350,000 for the winning team.

Shannon McGregor of Celtic celebrates scoring her team’s second goal with teammates during the UEFA Women’s Champions League 2024/25 Second Round Second Leg match between Celtic and Vorskla Poltava at Albert Bartlett Stadium on September 26, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

This is going to be a huge learning curve for the team but it’s a brilliant opportunity for Celtic to take a place among the elite teams in world club football.

Congratulations to Elena Sadiku, her players and all her staff. What a brilliant achievement from Celtic FC Women.

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES! 🎥🍾

The champagne is flowing & we are in the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE! #CelticVorskla | #UWCL | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/71LhSVEEwY

— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) September 26, 2024

🗣️ “I’m really excited with what’s ahead of us – what an achievement. We put Celtic on the map so I’m very excited with what’s to come!”

Elena Sadiku gave her reaction after qualifying for the UWCL Group Stage for the first time ever!
#CelticVorskla | #UWCL | #CelticFC pic.twitter.com/IP1yPGN2Bp

— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) September 26, 2024

St Johnstone v Celtic: Experienced referee named for Saturday night clash

Heart of Midlothian v Celtic – cinch Premiership – Tynecastle Park Celtics Greg Taylor right and Celtics Cameron Carter-Vickers speak with match referee Don Robertson after he awards a penalty to Heart of Midlothian during the cinch Premiership match at Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh. Picture date: Saturday March 2, 2024. EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or live services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUKxIRL Copyright: xAndrewxMilliganx 75517886

The SFA have confirmed the refereeing appointments for Celtic’s trip to Perth to face St Johnstone. The Scottish Champions take on the managerless Saints on Saturday evening, which is live on Premier Sports.

Experienced referee Don Robertson has been named as the whistleblower for the clash. The 37-year-old will be assisted by Daniel McFarlane and Craig Ferguson. Meanwhile, at Clydesdale House, Alan Muir is on VAR duties with Graeme Leslie assisting.

Robertson took charge of Celtic’s Premiership opener against Kilmarnock, but failed to spot a penalty for Brendan Rodgers’ side after Kyogo was brought down in the box by Robby McCrorie. Hopefully there are no repeats at the weekend.

Meanwhile, Brendan will likely be up against Alec Cleland in the Saints dugout after Scott Brown rebuffed two advances by the Perthshire club. Tiernan Lynch and Peter Leven have been approached by new Saints owner Adam Webb, who is looking to replace Craig Levein. It is unlikely that they will manage to get someone into the role before the game as it is likely one that the new manager will want to avoid.

The great thing about Celtic’s form this season is that there are a number of players who have shone on the first eight games.

Callum McGregor has added goals to his game, Daizen Maeda has kicked on to another level and Nicolas Kuhn just looks like a new player with his incredible start to the season.

However, Peter Grant has named a player he believes is underappreciated at Celtic after being dropped to the bench in the last two games before the Falkirk win.

Paulo Bernardo’s ‘all-round play’ is understated at Celtic

Paulo Bernardo made the permanent switch to Celtic after having a huge influence on the double-winning season last year.

A regular starter after the departure of Matt O’Riley to Brighton, the Portuguese is now playing second fiddle to £11m man, Arne Engels.

And Grant reckons that what Bernardo offers to the Celtic team has been ‘understated’ this season.

Grant told The Go Radio Football Show, “Bernardo I thought was excellent again [against Falkirk].

“His all-round play, he’s very understated in the respect to that.

MORE CELTIC STORIES

“He’s been outstanding and he finds himself out. And that tells you how good the Engels has been since he came in.

“And for a young man, he plays with an arrogance and a confidence which, when you’re playing for a Celtic or a Rangers, you have to have that and a belief in that.”

Bernardo’s importance to Celtic

Paulo Bernardo may not be the first pick for Brendan Rodgers at Celtic but the 22-year-old has already shown his importance to the team this season.

With seven appearances and one goal this season, Bernardo was superb in the wins over Hearts and Rangers at the start of the season.

Unlucky to be dropped to the bench after the arrival of Engels, the Portuguese now has a fight on his hands to win his place back in the team but that can only benefit Celtic.

With more quality players vying to start, performances will improve on the pitch which can only help lead to positive results and more entertaining football.

There is no doubt Bernardo will be a big player for Celtic this season. Now that Brendan Rodgers has strength in depth, he will get another chance to show that undoubted talent that he has.

Bernabei Shines on Loan as Celtic Future Hangs in the Balance

Celtic loanee Alexandro Bernabei has continued to impress during his time at Internacional, featuring prominently in their latest match, a 2-2 draw away to Red Bull Bragantino.

The left-back, who was loaned out to the Brazilian club in February following a fallout with Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers over discipline issues, played the full 90 minutes.

He struggled for minutes when he made the move to Brazil, but over the past few months, he’s made his way back into the side.

Alexandro Bernabei with another positive showing for Internacional overnight.

The left-back played 90 minutes as his side drew 2-2 away at Red Bull Bragantino.

Berna set up Rafael Borre for the opener with a pinpoint cross.pic.twitter.com/ObiaF5SwQr

— Celtic Youth & Loan Updates (@CelticYLUpdates) September 26, 2024

The goal scorer’s name may ring a bell with a few fans. Rafael Borre previously played a key role in Eintracht Frankfurt’s 2022 Europa League victory by scoring the equalizer and the decisive penalty in the final against Rangers.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Bernabei come the winter, when he returns from his loan spell.

Celtic brought in Alex Valle in the summer, adding some depth to the left-back position, so there’s no real need to have him around.

Rodgers didn’t seem to be a big fan of the Ange Postecoglou signing, this became clear after he turned up late to a team meeting at the start of the manager’s first season back at the Hoops.

It’s likely that the player will move on in the January window

I watched money-spinning Celtic signing on his first day at the club and was left saying ‘he’s a player’

Engels set up Liam Scales’ goal with an excellent corner-kick delivery. | SNS Group

The Celtic leader has been left wowed by the midfielder who arrived in the summer.

Callum McGregor only needed one day to look at Arne Engels and know he’s a top-drawer player.

The midfielder joined the Hoops on a long-term deal from Augsburg in the summer transfer window. He cost a money-spinning £11m deal to prise him away from the Bundesliga but he has started life in Hoops with two goals and two assists in as many games.

Captain McGregor was left impressed by the Belgian international on his first day of work at the Premiership champions. That feeds into the belief of a strong squad the Celtic skipper thinks manager Brendan Rodgers has assembled.

He said: “I saw him on the first day and I thought, ‘He’s a player, he can play. He’s a real powerhouse and good on the ball. But you still have to go and deliver when the game kicks off.

“For a young player, albeit experienced for his age, to come into a club this size and take two penalties in the first two games and hit the ground running the way he has done has been excellent.

“It’s a really strong squad. The profile of the team is pretty much where we want it to be – we’ve got a good balance of speed, power and physicality and the right tactical stuff that we need as well so it’s a really balanced group.

“Time will tell in terms of how well we go on and do, but it certainly has all the hallmarks of a good team and it’s now just about the players delivering that on the pitch.”

Celtic travel to St Johnstone this weekend knowing three points are needed to maintain their advantage at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

The Bhoys are level on points with Aberdeen in the league standings. However, they hold a positive goal differential of seven over Jimmy Thelin’s side ahead of their travel to Dundee earlier in the day.

St Johnstone are still to appoint a manager after Craig Levein left the club last week. Celtic icon Scott Brown was firmly in contention for the role but chose to stay at Ayr United despite late attempts from owner Adam Webb.

Larne boss Tiernan Lynch and Aberdeen coach Peter Leven may be in the dugout by Saturday evening. If not, interim Andy Kirk would be in charge of the hosts for the visit of the Scottish Premiership champions.

Unfazed by speculation surrounding St Johnstone, Callum McGregor has laid out how Celtic plan to approach the encounter this weekend.

Callum McGregor on Celtic’s approach against St Johnstone

Laying down the law, McGregor signified that Celtic will go all out to ‘dominate’ at McDiarmid Park as they look to maintain their 100% start in the Scottish Premiership.

He stated [Celtic FC]: “There’s two sides to that (St Johnstone manager speculation). Obviously for us, we just try to focus on ourselves as much as we can. Of course we’ll have a look at St Johnstone in terms of the way we think they’ll try and stop us, from maybe looking at previous

“But the onus is more on us, and what we can do, and the little bits picking up from the weekend where we can get better.”

“And then of course a manager may come in and that might change the game plan for them, but as much as we can, we look at ourselves and see how we can go and dominate the game.”

Celtic and the clean sheet motivation on Saturday evening

Celtic don’t just have three points to play for on Saturday evening; they also have the small matter of potentially breaking a 118-year clean sheet record to target.

The Bhoys are yet to concede a single goal in their opening five Scottish Premiership fixtures. Winning in Perth and performing another shutout would take that total without being breached into landmark territory.

First and foremost, three points against St Johnstone will be the paramount concern. The Saints will be a tough nut to crack. They are always on home soil.

However, there could be cause for celebration with the added bonus of entering the history books, which would set Celtic up nicely for their Champions League jaunt to Borussia Dortmund next week.

Palma ‘open’ to exit, Bernabei ‘anxiety’ pinpointed and £8.3m wonderkid masterplan revealed – Celtic news bulletin

There is no midweek action for the Scottish champions this week – but there is still plenty going on at Parkhead

Celtic’s Luis Palma (Image: SNS Group)

Fringe man Luis Palma is “open” to a potential winter exit from Celtic, according to a report.

The Honduran has struggled to hold down a regular starting spot so far this term – making just three Scottish Premiership appearances off the bench with his only start coming in a disappointing Premier Sports Cup display against Falkirk. The 24-year-old has been vocal on social media in the wake of his performance against the Bairns – leading to criticism from some sections of the Celtic support.

The Hoops knocked back offers for Palma towards the end of the summer window – but a report in Honduras now claims the wide man would be open to an exit if he isn’t going to land regular game time under Brendan Rodgers. Crono Metro claim he “could say goodbye” to Celtic in January “either on loan or a sale” because of the “tough competition” for a starting spot.

Palma could be encouraged by the form of Alexandro Bernabei away from Celtic Park. The left-back is on loan at Brazilian club Internacional and has kickstarted his career with the club.

Following an assist in the 2-2 draw with Red Bull Bragantino, boss Roger Machado revealed he had a sit-down talk with the Argentinian in a bid to improve his “maturity.” He said: “What I have discussed with Bernabei, as he is a specialist in the role of an attacking left-back, but I am sure that he can contribute defensively.

“What I’ve been telling him is that he has the tools to defend well. But he relies so much on his other moments that sometimes he doesn’t identify the right time to make passes. When the play is taking shape, he’s trying to give himself an advantage to get the ball in a better position.

Alexandro Bernabei training with Internacional (Image: Alexandro Bernabei / Instagram)

“Sometimes he is thinking about the other moment and sometimes the ball goes behind his back. That is anxiety, that is youth. Maturity will give him experience.”

Amid the talk of outgoings from Glasgow’s east end, reports in Sweden suggest Celtic are escalating their interest in Bazoumana Toure. It is claimed that Hammarby are hoping for a fee in the region of £8.3m for the 18-year-old – and sporting director Mikael Hjelmberg has refused to close the door on a deal with Arsenal and Manchester United also say to be scouting the striker.

He concedes the club are already planning for life without the striker, telling Fotboll Skanalen: “Clubs in Europe want to be at the forefront in terms of scouting, and they report that they are interested and so on. But it is nothing more than that.

Hotline Live: Tune in and have your say

In case you haven’t heard, we’ve launched a new Hotline Live show, airing at 6pm every day, with the exception of Fridays and Saturdays.

Join our panel for a laugh, a moan and a look at all things Scottish football, as well as having your say on the biggest issues in the game.

“There were quite a few clubs that cancelled their place against Norrkoping (last week) when they realised that he was suspended. It was a bit of fun. Then there were a lot of cancellations. But there are quite a lot of big clubs coming now. And we have known about that (the interest).

“We need to plan for a future without him. Then if it happens (a deal) this winter, next summer or even further than that, I don’t think so in and of itself… we’ll see. But the longer we get to keep him the better.”

Celtic (1) v FK Vorskla Poltava (0) – Match Preview, Team News & Where to Watch

Celtic FC Women are ninety minutes away from making history this evening against Ukrainian Champions FK Vorskla Poltava…

Both legs take place at the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie as, as has been the case over the past few seasons, FK Vorskla Poltava has been unable to play their homes matches in their own country due to the war with the Russian aggressor.  The first leg took place on Sunday and ended up with Celtic securing a narrow 1-0 win, although both teams passed up numerous chances. Indeed Elena Sadiku reckoned her side should have won 5-1 at the weekend.

This evening Celtic are the ‘home’ team so expect then to be wearing the Hoops!

Celtic FC Women have never been in this situation before and truth be told it’s hard to imagine them having a similar opportunity anytime soon to reach the last 16 of the Women’s Champions League and a place in Group Stages against the best club sides in European football.

Team News 

Elena Sadiku confirmed that Hana Kerner has a fractured wrist and will miss this evening. Injuries to Clare Goldie and Jenny Smith and to the likes of Chloe Logan, Chloe Craig and Luana Muñoz who remain out at the moment.

The Celtic Head Coach has adopted an full squad rotation policy this season so there’s little point in predicting a team, which means that the FK Vorskla Poltava may be expecting one Celtic side but will end up facing numerous new faces.  Elena believes in the team and so too do the regular supporters who follow the team everywhere. For the supporters who go along this evening, but perhaps haven’t had the chance to watch too much of the women’s team in recent seasons, you’re in for a treat this evening!

Celtic Manager’s View 

Looking back on Sunday’s first leg victory Elena Sadiku said: “For me, I think we executed the game plan really well. The players performed really well, and we created enough chances to win with more goals.

“Obviously for me, it was just about learning from what we can do better to not make them threaten us like they did on Sunday. But also, there is going to be more space for us to attack, and we just need to do a little bit better with our decision making.’ Hopefully from there we can get the job done,” the Celtic FC Women Head Coach said.

“We are just focused on the game. Even if there is a special game, for us it’s treated the same as every other game. It’s about preparing the girls the same way. We need to go out there, perform well execute the game plan, and that is it.

“You can hear when Natalie (Ross) is talking, in her voice how excited she is. But for me, it’s about being calm enough to know that we know exactly how to threaten them. We know exactly what to be aware of. We also know that the occasion will be very special. But it will be treated as a normal game. It is 90 minutes of football, and that is what we are going to focus on.

“As a group we’ve talked about it. We know the occasion and how special it is. But it’s all about being focused on the game and the task, don’t let emotions take over. I think that is something that we have been trying to do really well. You could see that on Sunday in the first leg. With the chances that we create in the game, we couldn’t have done that if we were stressed or nervous.

“So, we have talked about it and now it’s about focusing on the task, and what we need to do. I’m very confident that we will put in a good performance.”

Celtic Player’s View 

Natalie Ross reminded herself that she’s the oldest player in the Celtic FC Women squad this season, but there’s no chance that she is any less committed to the cause and still has plenty to offer this Celtic side in the middle of the park this season. Think of Scott Brown in his last few seasons in the Celtic first team as a fairly accurate comparison. Ross brings leadership, experience, dig and is a really top player who has more in the tank to give over the next year or two.

“It’s a massive game, and there is a lot of excitement. We can take a lot of confidence from Sunday’s game as well,” Natalie said at the pre-match media conference held at Celtic Park where Callum McGregor came along to lend his own support as Celtic as a club look to have two sides – men and women – in the group stages of the Champions League for the first time ever.

“I’d say it’s probably one of our best performances of the season so far,” Natalie said as she looked back on Sunday’s 1-0 victory over FK Vorskla Poltava. “We know what is at stake. We know what we can achieve and that we can make even more history by winning tomorrow.

“Our concentration is on training going into the game. It’s a big game and there is a lot of excitement. We learned from the first leg that they are a good side. We know that we can’t underestimate them in any way. They are direct and experienced. But we know our quality, and we are confident going into the game.

“On Sunday, we were together, and we fought. We created a lot of chances, and it was fun to play in. So, we are very, very excited and looking forward to tomorrow.”

Match Officials

The referee tonight is Lina Lehtovaara from Finland. Her Assistants are Heini Hyvonen (Finland) and Karolin Kaivoja (Estonia). The Fourth Official is Minka Vekkeli, also from Finland.

Kick-off Time

The UEFA Women’s Champions League, Round 2, 2nd leg match between Celtic and FK Vorskla Poltava at the Excelsior Stadium (also known as Albert Bartlett Stadium) in Airdrie kicks off at 7.15pm this evening (Thursday 26 September). Celtic hold a 1-0 lead from the first leg which was played on Sunday. The winner of the tie will be decided this evening and will earn a place in the UWCL Group Stages.

Where to Watch 

UEFA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ROUND 2 – CELTIC FC WOMEN v FC VORSKLA POLTAVA, Albert Bartlett Stadium on Thursday 26 September 2024. Kick-off: 7:15pm | Gates open: 6:15pm…

Sunday’s match clashed with the Celtic v Falkirk Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Celtic Park, so that subdued the size of the crowd. Tonight when the tie will be decided and Celtic history can be made, should ensure a record crowd for a Celtic FC Women’s match at Airdrie. Get along if you can, give the team that extra-special Celtic supporters’ Champions League backing and help the Ghirls get across the line! The celebrations will be awesome!  Tickets are just £10 for adults and £5 for concessions.

Score Prediction

No Jessica today, who tipped a 2-0 Celtic win on Sunday, while yours truly opted for a 1-0 Celtic win! Just saying! Tonight I reckon that the final score will be a 3-1 win for Celtic and the scenes will be awesome!

COYGIG! LET’S MAKE HISTORY!



💫 MATCHDAY 🟢⚪️

🆚 Vorskla Poltava
⌚️ 7:15pm
🏟️ Albert Bartlett Stadium, Airdrie
🏆 @UWCL
💻 @CelticTV (exc. UK & IRE)
📺 @BBCAlba
🎟️ Tickets available online | https://t.co/27e6s2nMUZ#CelticVorskla | #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/Iw4i3cBYRH

— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) September 26, 2024

Europa League prize money 24/25: How much will Rangers earn from playing in the Europa League

This is how much Rangers will earn from their participation in the Europa League this year – and how it compares to Celtic’s Champions League earnings.

Rangers kick off their Europa League campaign this evening with a trip to Sweden to face Allsvenskan table toppers Malmo.

After falling short in the Champions League qualifiers last month, Philippe Clement’s side dropped into the new look European competition and were dealt some mouth-watering ties after being drawn against the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Nice.

Their campaign begins in the city Swedish of Malmo this Thursday though, before they welcome Lyon and FCSB to Glasgow for back-to-back Europa League at Ibrox. The Gers will also face tests against Olympiacos and Union Saint-Gilloise in the league phase of the competition.

Scotland’s sole representative in the competition after both Hearts and Kilmarnock failed to make it through the qualifiers, the Gers will be hoping they can recapture the form that resulted in them making it all the way to the final of the Europa League in 2022 – though their main aim will be dethroning Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership come May.

But how much will Rangers earn from their participation in the UEFA competition, and how much more could they secure by qualifying for the latter stages of the Europa League?

Here is everything you need to know about the 24/25 UEFA Europa League – including the new format explained, prize money and key dates.

New Europa League format explained

The European competition has taken on a new format this year, which mirrors that of the UEFA Champions League. The 24/25 Europa League will see a total of 36 teams take part in one league table.

Previously, qualifying teams would have been placed into four team groups, with each side playing each home and away, with the top two sides from each group qualifying for the last 16 phase of the competition. However, the new format will now see all 36 clubs placed into a one league, where they will play four home and four away games. In order to determine fixtures, each team was placed into four seeding pots, with each qualifying teams drawn to play two opponents from each.

The top eight teams from the league phase will now advance directly to the knockout stages, while teams placed between ninth and 24th will complete a play-offs to advance to the round of 16. From there on in, the competition reverts to a straight knockout.

Rangers Europa League fixture dates

Sept 26: Malmo (A) – 5.45pm

Oct 3: Lyon (H) – 8pm

Oct 24: FCSB (H) – 8pm

Nov 7: Olympiacos (A) – 5.45pm

Nov 28: Nice (A) – 8pm

Dec 12: Tottenham Hotspur (H) – 8pm

Jan 23: Manchester United (A) – 8pm

Jan 30: Union Saint-Gilloise (H) – 8pm

Europa League prize money – how much will club earn from playing in the Europa League

Firstly, the Glasgow giants have already received a fixed payment of €4.29m for their participation in the Champions League qualifying stages, despite their defeat to Dynamo Kyiv. This is split into a down-payment of €4.14m (£3.5m) and a balance of €170k (£141k).

Rangers will earn a performance related bonus, which will be paid for each match in the League Phase: €450,000 (£379,201) per win and €150,000 (£126,400) per draw £0 for a defeat. This is significantly less than what they would have could have earned had they made it through the Champions League qualifiers, which would have saw them earn €2.1m (£1.7m) per win and €700k (£584k) per draw.

Should Rangers end the league phase in any of the top eight positions, they will receive an additional €600k (£500k) bonus. If they are ranked between ninth and 16th will receive €300k (£250k).

Should Clement’s side qualify for the last 16 and/or further knockout phases of the Europa League, they will earn:

Round of 16: €1.75m (£1.47m) per club

Quarter-finals: €2.5m (£2.11m) per club

Semi-finals: €4.2m (£3.54m) per club

Participation for UEL final: €7m (£5.90m)

Winners: An additional €6m, so €13m in total (£10.95m).

Henrik Larsson secret Celtic role as boss explains support and hints at message to squad

Ahead of a massive Champions League tie, Larsson has been offering support

Henrik Larsson has been supportive of Celtic Women (Image: SNS Group)

Henrik Larsson has been offering support to Celtic Women ahead of their huge Champions League play-off tie.

The Hoops take on Ukrainians Vorskla Poltava at Excelsior Stadium this evening and will be looking to make history by reaching the group stages for the first time ever. They hold a 1-0 lead from the away leg and so will be viewed as favourites to make it through to the next round.

Swedish manager Elena Sadiku has revealed that her countryman, club legend Larsson, has been very supportive. She said: “He is supportive and follows our results – and our Instagram stories. His support has been great to the women’s game and I am a big fan of his.”

And asked if she had been able to share any messages from the ‘King of Kings’ with the team, she teased: “Maybe I have…”

The chance to make history in the Champions League will clearly be a huge appeal and motivation ahead of the game. Sadiku wasn’t giving too much away about what it would mean but did admit it would be a massive moment.

She added: “It would mean we are among the top 16 teams in Europe. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. It would mean so much to get there. It would be the top moment in my career.”

Join Football Scotland’s Celtic WhatsApp community!



Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our Celtic WhatsApp community today.

You’ll receive daily updates on breaking Hoops news as well as the top headlines from Parkhead.

No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Football Scotland team.

All you have to do is click here if you’re on mobile, select ‘Join Community’ and you’re in!

If you’re on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click ‘Join Community’.

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.

To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘exit group’.

Brendan Rodgers strengthened Celtic with no less than seven signings this season as the Irishman looks to tackle domestic and European business.

So far, the moves Rodgers has made have paid off as Celtic remain unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership and have recorded an impressive win in the Champions League over Slovan Bratislava.

Whilst some players like Alex Valle and Auston Trusty are biding their time and settling into the club, Callum McGregor has said that one of Rodgers’ summer signings instantly blew him away from the first day he saw him.

Arne Engels is a ‘real powerhouse’ at Celtic

McGregor was asked about his thoughts on Arne Engels after the Belgian’s impressive performances for Celtic so far.

And the Celtic captain admits he was immediately impressed with the quality he has brought at such a young age.

At the Celtic press conference, McGregor said, “I saw him on the first day and I thought, ‘He’s a player, he can play’.

“He’s a real powerhouse and good on the ball. But you still have to go and deliver when the game kicks off.

“For a young player, albeit experienced for his age, to come into a club this size and take two penalties in the first two games and hit the ground running the way he has done has been excellent.”

MORE CELTIC STORIES

Arne Engels has real potential for Celtic

Arne Engels became Celtic’s record signing after Brendan Rodgers splashed £11m to land the Belgian midfielder.

At just 21, Engels is capped at full international level with Belgium, has scored and assisted in the Champions League and is playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world.

With two goals and two assists to his name already, Engels’ impact at Celtic has been impressive but the fans should be wary of expecting too much too soon.

At his young age, he is still developing and honing his skills but early indications are that he can go on and become a great signing for Celtic should he continue his current progress under Brendan Rodgers.

The Montenegro international is currently injured and admits he would have loved the chance to face Celtic.

Haksabanovic though he feels that, even without him, if his side follow the manager’s instructions properly they can have a good night against the Gers

“I’m still injured unfortunately because I would want to play”, the former Celtic star told Football Scotland.

“If we do everything correctly, listen to the manager and follow the game plan that we have, then we can have a good night tomorrow.”

Haksabanovic trusts his team’s discipline and he feels that Malmo could get a result against Clement’s side.

“I haven’t really spoken to anyone at Celtic.

“I believe in what we have here.

“It’s all about discipline, we know we can do it so we have to do it.

Rangers, on the other hand, will be looking to make a winning start to their Europa League campaign against Haksabanovic’s side.

Celtic are a different animal from this time last year after a strong summer transfer window cemented the foundations of a talented squad.

Last term, the Bhoys had a successful campaign and claimed a domestic double under Brendan Rodgers. However, the Irishman would freely admit it took some time to get his message across in a transitional early stage.

That statement rang truer than ever against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park last October. Despite a 3-1 victory, in the end, courtesy of Callum McGregor, Matt O’Riley and James Forrest, the manager wasn’t impressed by his sides’ first-half display, it is fair to say.

Post-match, Rodgers admitted the performance made him the ‘angriest’ he has ever been in management, a marker of how far the Bhoys fell below his high standards on that day.

Undoubtedly, the reigning Scottish Premiership champions have come a long way since last October. Nevertheless, Callum McGregor isn’t keen for his side to rest on their laurels as they travel to Perth this weekend.

Callum McGregor recalls Brendan Rodgers’ St Johnstone fury

Cited via The Daily Record, McGregor admitted the 3-1 victory last year prompted the ‘angriest’ reaction he’d ever seen from Rodgers, which is not something he plans on witnessing again this weekend.

He stated: “It was certainly the angriest I’ve seen him. I think that’s the statement that everyone kind of clings onto because he’s normally very, very calm under pressure. I think it was just maybe a step too far that day. The pressure of the situation and how the team had been playing up to that point probably played a factor in it as well.

“But you’re in elite-level sport, so you have to take criticism and take the manager’s view on board. If you’re not doing the things that you should as a team, then you have to be told and I’m sure the players want it that way as well.

“Obviously different players probably react differently to your criticism or those moments of red-button panic stations. When you see someone like the manager losing his cool and demanding more, then it makes you want to turn the thing around and get a positive result, which we obviously did on that day.

“I think the response 12 months on is the group are in a really good place and probably better for that action at half-time anyway. It’s another lesson that, if you don’t do your work properly and you don’t do all the small details and earn the right to win, any game can be difficult.”

Brendan Rodgers has instilled a brilliant mentality at Celtic

Elite managers bring a mentality to match when demanding high standards, but that only works if players collectively buy into their vision.

It is safe to say Celtic’s players, coaching staff, and everyone in between are singing from the same hymn sheet at the moment.

In the grand scheme of things, last year’s victory over St Johnstone won’t cross too many people’s minds. However, days like that have forged the mentality we see as fans in the current squad.

With the Bhoys gearing up for a Saturday night clash at McDiarmid Park nearly a year later, the club appear to be in a far better place on the pitch.

Revealed: The Key Reason Scott Brown Turned Down St. Johnstone Job

Celtic legend Scott Brown last night turned down the opportunity to become the new manager of Scottish Premiership side St. Johnstone.

10th December 2023; Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, Scotland: Scottish Premiership Football, Kilmarnock versus Celtic; Ex Celtic player Scott Brown arrives for the match

Despite holding discussions with the McDiarmid Park side, the 39-year-old elected to stay at Ayr United amidst their promotion bid.

He could have reunited with the Hoops in Perth this Saturday night, but it is not to be.

Brown has instead put all his eggs in the Ayr basket as they look to return to Scotland’s top flight for the first time in over 45 years.

The Honest Men are delighted to be keeping hold of their manager, and the key reason why he turned the St. Johnstone job down has now been revealed.

Indeed, RecordSport reports that Brown didn’t want to get caught up in a competition for the vacant Saints post.

After speaking to Brown, the club was set to hold talks with two other candidates: Peter Leven of Aberdeen and Larne’s Tiernan Lynch.

The former Celtic captain didn’t want to be involved in a ‘beauty pageant’ with American St. Johnstone owner Adam Webb, so he has opted to stay at Somerset Park.

One can’t help but feel staying at Ayr is the right move for Brown.

As a young manager, he still needs to prove himself and staying with the Honest Men for a prolonged period should serve him well.

A return to Parkhead one day feels inevitable, but Brown still needs to graft at a lower level first.

Celtic’s recruitment has been pretty much spot-on for a long time now.

Whether it’s Brendan Rodgers’ first spell, Ange Postecoglou strolling to a Treble or Rodgers coming back and winning more trophies at Celtic.

For large parts, the champions of Scotland have got it right and they have now taken it to a whole new level this summer.

Before the summer transfer window could open, Celtic fans were fully aware that they were going to lose star man Matt O’Riley.

It was just a case of where. It didn’t help matters that the O’Riley transfer saga dragged on until August, but he got his deserved more to the Premier League and signed for Brighton.

Then all eyes were on who Celtic were going to bring in and just how far the powers that be were going to push the boat out.

To their credit, they didn’t disappoint and they put down a club-record fee for midfielder Arne Engles and snapped him up for £11 million from FC Augsburg.

Fast forward to the present and Engels is already off the mark, including helping Celtic to a thumping opening day Champions League win.

The 21-year-old is yet to taste a defeat, as all of this seems pretty easy for him because he is also benching some top-quality players at the club.

Despite arriving for such a huge fee, Stephen McGinn thinks Engels is already a ‘bargain’ transfer for Rodgers.

The Celtic-mad pundit added that the rising Belgian star looks like a ‘serious footballer’ from what he has seen of him so far, as he told Go Radio.

Arne Engels a ‘bargain’ transfer for Celtic

“I thought Arne Engels again, he looks like a bargain for £11 million,” said McGinn. “He looks like a serious footballer.”

Celtic without Matt O’Riley

O’Riley showed serious promise under Postecoglou, but went to serious levels under Rodgers and was the best player in Scotland last season.

Yet, with O’Riley out of the door, the team haven’t missed him, which is a credit to Rodgers, but also to the players.

Engels has played a huge part in that and has proven that he doesn’t need time to settle in.

What’s more exciting is that the best is yet to come and he could prove to be the difference maker for Celtic in the Champions League.

Luis Palma is NOT done at Celtic despite ‘nervous’ Brendan Rodgers truth bomb as £11m replacement pitched

The Honduran international has struggled for regular game time and form so far this season

Winger Luis Palma‘s Celtic career is NOT over despite his lacklustre display against Falkirk.

That is the view of Marvin Bartley – but he did concede that Brendan Rodgers will be “nervous” to throw in the Honduran again should he ring the changes again on the same scale as he did in the Premier Sports Cup clash. The 24-year-old was given his first start of the season against the Bairns but failed to impress and was replaced after 60 minutes – with his social media antics after the game earning criticism from supporters.

Celtic knocked back offers late in the summer transfer window for Palma – but speculation is ramping up that the wide man could now be moved on in January. However, Bartley feels that there is still a chance the forward can make the grade with the Scottish Premiership champions.

He told Clyde 1 Superscoreboard: “I think to say someone is done is extremely harsh. It is not very easy to come in and try to impact a game. One thing I would say, I think when you play for Celtic Football Club and you play Falkirk – regardless of how well they are doing – they are a Championship team. So when you do come into that team, you have to be better than Falkirk.

“I just felt that some of the players that came in struggled too much. You are in a situation now that you would be nervous putting three of four of them in, because their standards have to be higher outside of a few. But, no, you can’t say somebody is done off the back of that.”

Should Celtic opt to cash-in on Palma, a replacement has been pitched in the form of versatile Brondby forward Mathias Kvistgaarden. The 22-year-old has been on the Parkhead agenda in recent windows – and can play on the left flank or lead the frontline.

Hotline Live: Tune in and have your say

In case you haven’t heard, we’ve launched a new Hotline Live show, airing at 6pm every day, with the exception of Fridays and Saturdays.

Need to get something off your chest? Have your say on what’s happening in the world of Scottish football by contacting us at hotline@dailyrecord.co.uk.

You can find out more about the show here and also catch up on previous episodes with our full Hotline Live playlist on YouTube.

Former Denmark international Per Frimann told Viaplay that he thinks a the £11m fee that took Arne Engels to Parkhead may have to be splashed once again. He said: “I think he will be sold this winter. There have been rumours that Brondby has been offered 80 million (Danish Krone, £8.9m), but I can really understand that they have turned it down.

“With what he is showing now, he is resorting to a higher transfer price – not least if it involves Champions League clubs. Brondby must get 100 million (Danish Krone, £11m) or something like that.

“Brondby must be able to complete huge transfers. So they must go after the 100 million.”

Pundit gives Luis Palma defence after winger’s Celtic misfire

Marvin Bartley has said that Luis Palma’s Celtic career is not over despite the player’s stuttering display against Falkirk at the weekend. The ex-Hibs midfielder believes that nervousness played a part in the misfiring from Palma and the other fringe players.

Palma struggled to take advantage of a rare Celtic start on Sunday but writing off the Honduran won’t help anyone at this stage of the season. The 24-year-old was given as start for the League Cup game against Falkirk as Daizen Maeda was given a much earned rest.

Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, Bartley said that Palma shouldn’t be written off.
“I think to say someone is done is extremely harsh. It is not very easy to come in and try to impact a game. One thing I would say, I think when you play for Celtic Football Club and you play Falkirk – regardless of how well they are doing – they are a Championship team. So when you do come into that team, you have to be better than Falkirk.

“I just felt that some of the players that came in struggled too much. You are in a situation now that you would be nervous putting three of four of them in, because their standards have to be higher outside of a few. But, no, you can’t say somebody is done off the back of that.”

Palma was ineffectual and was substituted with The Bairns leading. Nicolas Kühn’s display showcased the vast difference in both confidence and quality as the German attacker scored twice and assisted twice.

Celtic will need to have depth in a number of key positions and Palma showed his abilities at various points of last season. The hysteria over Palma’s performance was a bit over the top but it is probably because of the impressive start to the season from the first team picks of Maeda and Kühn.

CELTIC legend Jock Stein had an extraordinary impact on the Parkhead club after returning as manager in March 1965.

In another CQN EXCLUSIVE,  Alex Gordon, author of fifteen publications on Celtic, has opened his book files on the Parkhead great for an absorbing twenty-one part series.

Today, in Part Sixteen of our fascinating look back at these landmark times in the annals of fame at a momentous football club, we  continue as Big Jock leads the club into the history books.

CELTIC’S unparalleled and unstoppable odyssey of silverware splendour had begun with a thirteenth-minute goal from Johnny Divers in a 4-0 triumph over Dundee United at Tannadice on August 25 1965.

The ninth successive First Division championship had already been annexed by the time Brian McLaughlin, a second-half substitute for Andy Lynch, exquisitely chipped the ball over Morton keeper Roy Baines in the sixty-seventh minute on the evening of April 30 1974 to nullify a strike from future Celt Mark McGhee to earn the champions a 1-1 draw at Parkhead.

In between Divers’ twelve-yard drive on Tayside and McLaughlin’s sixteen-yard lob in the east end of Glasgow, Celtic had scored 784 league goals while conceding 231, winning 212 games, drawing 37 and losing 22.

They were held in their thirty-fourth league match that season – and 306th in total – against the same opponents at Cappielow in a scoreless stalemate a week later to bring down the curtain on a golden era for Celtic Football Club.

The title was won on April 27 with very little razzamatazz at broken-down Brockville when Jock Stein’s side went one over the eight in a 1-1 impasse with Falkirk. It wasn’t exactly how a Hollywood director would have arranged the grand occasion, but it got the job done.

Celtic arrived with the burden of a monumental sense of injustice after a European Cup semi-final knock-out from Atletico Madrid, thugs masquerading as footballers, three evenings earlier.

They lost 2-0 and no-one outside a corner of the Spanish capital would commit to the belief the victors over two bruising, controversial legs had been the superior set of players. Falkirk, for their part, knew they had to win to dodge relegation for at least another week.

Kirkie Lawson must have thought the miracle was on when he beat Denis Connaghan with only three minutes on the clock. Celtic, understandably, looked tired, but it didn’t prevent a moment of sheer genius from Kenny Dalglish to fashion an equaliser in the twentieth minute.

Following some delicate weaving and twisting, he carved open a space and from twelve yards made no mistake with an effort that left keeper Ally Donaldson helpless.

The remaining seventy minutes will not live long in the memory banks of the 14,000 fans who witnessed it that afternoon. Dalglish almost claimed the winner with a wicked drive that came close to demolishing the Falkirk crossbar, but, in the end, Celtic celebrated their ninth successive title and twenty-ninth in their history while the dejected Falkirk displayed remarkable sportsmanship by applauding the feat of their opponents before trooping off with football in the Second Division to look forward to in the new season.

After the Brockville confrontation, Celtic kicked off a mop-up operation to get through their league fixtures and the following Monday they drew 0-0 with Aberdeen at Pittodrie. Twenty-four hours afterwards, Brian McLaughlin got the goal that mattered in the 1-1 draw with Morton.

It was the youngster’s first league game since being waywardly assaulted by Clyde defender Willie McVie after the unfurling of the eighth league flag at Parkhead on September 8 1973.

Two days after beating Dundee United 3-0 in the Scottish Cup showpiece with goals from Harry Hood, Steve Murray and Dixie Deans, the final whistle was blown on the season with a goalless tussle at Cappielow.

Jock Stein declared: “Eventually, it ended as quite an easy win as we defended our title for the eighth time, but it was hard enough during the season for we seemed beset by more problems than usual. We had problems with transfer requests from David Hay and George Connelly, which resolved themselves in some ways.

“We had the problems of an off-form Jimmy Johnstone for far too long during the season. He played in only thirteen league games, just over a third of the fixtures. We had the problems of injuries which face any team during the season. Our list contained some of our most vital key men.

“George Connelly was out with a broken ankle at the end of the season and Danny McGrain was off for a spell then, too. Bobby Lennox missed a chunk of the programme just after the New Year and at a time when we had been scoring freely.

“One of the most satisfactory features in our championship victory was that we took points against the teams that counted. I think at the end of the day that was the difference between ourselves and the rest. The record books show three points from Hibs, four from Rangers, three from Aberdeen, four from Hearts and two from Dundee.

“We did play below par in some games, but we still managed to win or draw in them. When our challengers had a bad game they lost valuable points.

“And, as I think I can modestly say we have proved it, it’s relentless consistency that wins league championships. To put beside the league championship trophy, we have the Scottish Cup back again on the sideboard in the Celtic Park boardroom.

:It was a win that pleased me immensely for I was annoyed at the way we had lost a succession of Finals in knock-out competitions.

“Maybe if I had not been Celtic manager I would have said that it would not have been a bad thing for football if Dundee United had beaten us and the honours had been spread around.

“We had said that before when other teams have knocked us out in the past. This time I wanted to make sure and, because we were properly geared up, there was no chance Dundee United would beat us.

“We did lose in the League Cup Final to a Dundee team who played better than us on the day and deserved their victory on conditions which in my opinion – and another result would not have changed it – were unplayable.“

Following a dreary evening’s fare in Greenock on Monday, May 4 1974, referee Andy McCririck put his whistle to his lips around 9.15pm to bring a halt to the non-event, no-goal encounter between Morton and Celtic.

No-one could have guessed it would be another two years before the league championship would make its way back to Paradise.

Tom English and Ibrox investors…there is no quick fix for the Ibrox club. Where Celtic find themselves today began 30 years ago, it didn’t happen overnight

The word investment seems to be being bandied about an awful lot lately in relation to the Ibrox club.

Tom English is just another in a long line of people to discuss it.

It was a big part of his article yesterday on new Ibrox chairman, John Gilligan.

Since the new club crawled out of the grave of the old one, I don’t think a season has gone by where “investment” hasn’t been discussed.

It’s almost a case of just like the “R*****s are coming”, investment is coming too.

And it’s still coming.

But it has yet to come.

Looking at his article on the new Ibrox chairman yesterday, it’s clear that Tom English doesn’t get this concept either.

Alan Harvey – SNS Group/SNS Group/Getty Images

In fact, nobody in the SMSM seems to get it.

The word investment is bandied about week after week in conjunction with the Ibrox side.

In fact, it has been for 12 years now.

At this point, it’s clear the SMSM does not get the concept of investment.

Working in a business myself where a lot of investment in the company happens, the concept of it is very clear to me.

Investment by it’s very definition, is an asset or item acquired to generate income or gain appreciation.

Keywords here: generate income or gain appreciation.

The below paragraph from English indicates clearly he does not understand the concept of investment:

The memory of the chronic Mike Ashley era has not faded either. Charles Green, Imran Ahmad, Derek Llambias, Barry Leach, David Somers – all these and more still have the capacity to make some on the current board break out in a cold sweat.

The chronic Mike Ashley era.

Mike Ashley was, and I use was, because he was the last chance the Ibrox side had before now to become a solvent, profitable business.

The Ibrox fans did not like the fact that Ashley wanted to put the brakes on the ludicrous spending and loss making that went on at the club.

The Ibrox mentality has always been to spend your way to success.

It doesn’t look like that will ever change now.

There was a whiff of sanity in the way John Bennett wanted to run the club.

But in the end it looks like that wish for sanity at Ibrox took it’s toll on John Bennett’s personal sanity.

Rob Casey – SNS Group/SNS Group/Getty Images

So let’s return to Mike Ashley.

It is ironic yesterday that Craig Whyte was back in the news, you know?

The billionaire with wealth off the scale?

When Ibrox had a real billionaire in the building, they drove him out the door.

Ashley is worth £5.6 billion.

He didn’t amass that fortune by being stupid in his business dealings.

He invested an awful lot of his money in developing his main company, Sports Direct, and without going into too much detail, he did it to generate income, and for his business to gain appreciation.

Which it did, and it has appreciated hugely over the years.

When I say Celtic had a very lucky escape in 2015 after Mike Ashley vacated Ibrox in the wake of Dave King’s beer hall putsch, I very much mean we had a lucky escape.

Ashley is ruthless in his business dealings.

And had he remained in situ at Ibrox, there is no doubting he would have turned the club around and made them a sustainable force in Scottish football.

To think he had all those billions behind him as well….

So, while English states it was a chronic era at Ibrox, he clearly misunderstands what Ashley’s intentions were.

He intended making the Ibrox operation another profitable and sustainable business to add to his vast portfolio.

The £10 million loan he intended securing while using Ibrox as security would most likely have been re-invested in the club, and used as a starting point to gain solvency.

He had already invested £10 million of his money into the club in January of 2015.

But ultimately, Ashley was investing in the club to gain financially himself, because that’s what investment is all about.

The club could have become solvent, and self-sustainable, generating decent profits, and the investors would get their return, just like people who have invested in Celtic get theirs.

What followed after Ashley sold his stake in the club was a continuous stream of soft loans from the club’s directors.

These were real Ranjurz men, who loved the club, throwing their own money into a black hole, in the vain hope they might eventually get a return on their investments.

But since the club has never turned a profit since 2012, and has existed pretty much on the generosity of it’s directors, they have in reality, pissed their money away.

So, when the media, and the likes of Tom English talk about investment at Ibrox, what has gone on at Ibrox since 2015 is their perception of investment.

Mike Ashley is the very reason nobody of note is willing to invest in the club.

Because anybody of note knows that the Ibrox club drove a successful billionaire from their doors.

A figure of £50 million to close the gap on Celtic is consistently being mentioned in the media of late.

Do they really think that a Sheik from Saudi Arabia, or some American consortium is going to come along with that kind of “investment”?

Investment, by their definition, is give us the £50 million to buy quality players so we can catch Celtic.

That’s not how it works.

Nobody is just going to hand over £50 million, and expect nothing in return.

Not like those poor misfortunate “Real Ranjurz men”, who by the way, do actually expect to get their money back at some point.

Christof Koepsel/Bongarts/Getty Images

That’s just the tip of the iceberg on how deep the Ibrox club is in this financial hole they find themselves in.

The days of the Sugar Daddy are well and truly over due to UEFA’s financial sustainability regulations.

Nobody will be allowed to walk into Ibrox and just hand them £50 million quid.

English was happy to indulge in Gilligan’s ramblings about investment:

We get approaches from all over the world from various sources,” said Gilligan of would-be investors.

But it has to be the right people and the right conditions and for the right amount of shares. We don’t want one person owning the club. Rangers’ future is, in part, being determined by their past and their understandable fear of having another ownership cataclysm on their hands.

At the same time, without an influx of major investment from the outside – in other words, revolution with the change of ownership that would come with it – it is hard to see how this financial picture changes dramatically at Ibrox any time soon. There is a plan and I am here to bring stability to the enforcement of that plan,” said Gilligan, who later added: “We’ll be fine… we’re in a strong place.”

But for all of Gilligan’s optimism and dedication to duty, there continue to be more questions than answers at Rangers

Yes, I’m sure they get approaches.

But when the people involved in said approaches take a look under the hood, they run a mile.

The right people and the right conditions are a million miles away currently.

And as for the right amount of shares?

Any share issue over there will generate little to nothing, as shares are now so diluted they have about as much value as bog roll.

In fact, I’d say bog roll is actually more valuable.

And English’s idea of a major influx of investment from the outside?

It’s never going to happen.

Nobody is willing to throw money into a black hole.

And Gilligan has said that no one person will be permitted to own the club.

So nothing is going to change.

It’s all a pipe dream.

Mark my words, they’ll still be talking about investment in ten years time at Ibrox.

If they manage to survive that long, that is.

There is no quick fix for that club, they are trapped in a vicious cycle.

As I said in the headline, where Celtic finds itself today began 30 years ago.

If the Ibrox side ever decides to get real, that’s the kind of time-frame they’re looking at.

But let’s face it, they’re never going to get real over there, are they?

Celtic ‘Seriously Interested’ in £8.5M Star Bazoumana Toure

Celtic have a “serious interest” in signing Hammarby winger Bazoumana Toure in 2025 ahead of Premier League club Crystal Palace, according to FotbollDirekt.

The Hammarby winger only signed for the Swedish club in March from Ivorian side ASEC Mimosas, and he’s only featured in 1,158 minutes of football for the Allsvenskan giants – but that has been enough to prompt interest from clubs who wish to make a move for his services. At the age of just 18, that vast promise alongside youth caps for Ivory Coast shows his upside potential – and Celtic could make a move, having received huge money for O’Riley over the summer transfer window amid his move to Premier League side Brighton.

Celtic ‘Seriously Interested’ in Bazoumana Toure

The Hoops could spend big on the 18-year-old winger

The report from FotbollDirekt states that youngster Toure’s solid form in the Allsvenskan has attracted plenty of suitors amid his form at Hammarby, with six goals and three assists in just 16 top-flight games – with Celtic now having him on their shortlist.

Celtic’s Scottish Premiership statistics – Divisional squad ranking, 2023/24

Stats

Output

Squad rank

Goals scored

14

1st

Goals conceded

0

12th

Shots for per game

20.8

1st

Shots against per game

6.2

12th

xG

14.08

1st

Other clubs such as Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Crystal Palace and Benfica have all registered their interest in the 18-year-old, who has been described as “insane”, but FotbollDirekt sources state that Celtic are ‘seriously interested’ in a deal.

The Glaswegian outfit sent chief scout Joe Lefevre out to watch Toure live for Hammarby in Stockholm, and the recruitment guru was impressed by what he saw, especially with him having been called ‘something special’ by journalists in the past.

The report further states that Celtic have become an interesting club to follow in the past two years, having sold Jota and O’Riley for the two highest sales in their history at around £25million each, and now Hammarby will be hoping for a fee of around £8.5million to part ways with the teenager.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Bazoumana Toure has three under-20 caps for the Ivory Coast.

That would mark the third-highest record sale in Swedish top-flight history after Sebastian Nanasi and Tottenham Hotspur youngster Lucas Bergvall; however, it is worth bearing in mind that whilst Celtic have the money, they have only spent over €10million once – on summer signing Arne Engels – whilst deals taking Jota from Benfica and Odsonne Edouard from Paris Saint-Germain ended up moving over that mark thanks to sell-on clauses.

Celtic Spending Wisely Could Make Them a Force

They have breezed past Rangers and that could continue

Celtic seem to have massively developed in the past year on a footballing level, and that should only increase with the sale of star midfielder O’Riley this summer.

Whilst the Denmark international will be missed in the centre of the field at Parkhead, the near-£30million they brought in for his signature just two-and-a-half-years after signing him from MK Dons for £1.5million was an incredibly tough bid to turn down, and it can be used at strengthening their ranks elsewhere.

Gustaf Lagerbielke makes Twente debut with result against Man Utd

Gustaf Lagerbielke of Celtic FC during the UEFA Champions League match between Feyenoord and Celtic FC at Feyenoord Stadion de Kuip on September 19, 2023.Photo VI ANP Sport Jeroen Putmans

Celtic defender Gustaf Lagerbielke came off the bench to help loan side FC Twente to famous result at Old Trafford. After Christian Eriksen’s brilliant first half strike, Erik ten Haag’s side appeared to be heading for an opening night win in the Europa League.

Although, Rangers flop Sam Lammers popped up with a 68th minute leveller that silenced Old Trafford and gave the Dutch side a draw. The game allowed for Lagerbielke to come on to make sure they could see out the late surge from United.

Before the game, Lagerbielke said that it was only a matter of time before he got on the pitch for Twente. The 24-year-old believed that he settled in well after making the loan switch from Celtic.

As reported by The Sun, the Swede admitted he was looking forward to getting onto the pitch.

“It feels like it’s only a matter of time until I get to play, and I’m looking forward to that.

“I enjoy myself here and I feel like I’ve settled in well.

“I didn’t get much playing time at Celtic and both me and the club agreed that a loan would be very good for both parties.

“Then I considered my options and there were a few clubs in many different countries interested. I compared the advantages and disadvantages of all and had meetings with different clubs.

“After the meeting with Twente it felt like it was a very good match.

“They have a very clear focus on development with the way they train. They have a fairly small squad where they put a lot of responsibility on each player.

“That combined with playing in the Dutch league which is very good, together with the Europa League felt like a perfect combination.

“It’s about being able to play and be an important player in the team. With that comes development.

“Not playing so far is not something I worry about.

“I’d say I’m at the best place in my career That’s how I feel about my own ability, both physically, tactically, technically, mentally and everything. I feel I am in a very good place.

“In terms of football, I feel like I’m at the highest level I’ve been at in my life, then I just hope to show that on the pitch soon as well.”

It will have helped Lagerbielke’s confidence to get on the pitch for Twente and he will be looking at kicking on in the Netherlands.

Lagerbielke signed for Celtic after being recommended to the club by Carl Starfelt’s agent, who switched to La Liga to join Celta Vigo. The £3m switch was expected to be a replacement for his compatriot, with Maik Nawrocki also arriving in the summer. However, the Swedish central defender made just ten appearances as well as scoring one goal – the win against Feyenoord in the UCL.

Celtic’s recruitment has been pretty much spot-on for a long time now.

Whether it’s Brendan Rodgers’ first spell, Ange Postecoglou strolling to a Treble or Rodgers coming back and winning more trophies at Celtic.

For large parts, the champions of Scotland have got it right and they have now taken it to a whole new level this summer.

Before the summer transfer window could open, Celtic fans were fully aware that they were going to lose star man Matt O’Riley.

It was just a case of where. It didn’t help matters that the O’Riley transfer saga dragged on until August, but he got his deserved more to the Premier League and signed for Brighton.

Then all eyes were on who Celtic were going to bring in and just how far the powers that be were going to push the boat out.

To their credit, they didn’t disappoint and they put down a club-record fee for midfielder Arne Engles and snapped him up for £11 million from FC Augsburg.

Fast forward to the present and Engels is already off the mark, including helping Celtic to a thumping opening day Champions League win.

The 21-year-old is yet to taste a defeat, as all of this seems pretty easy for him because he is also benching some top-quality players at the club.

Despite arriving for such a huge fee, Stephen McGinn thinks Engels is already a ‘bargain’ transfer for Rodgers.

The Celtic-mad pundit added that the rising Belgian star looks like a ‘serious footballer’ from what he has seen of him so far, as he told Go Radio.

Arne Engels a ‘bargain’ transfer for Celtic

“I thought Arne Engels again, he looks like a bargain for £11 million,” said McGinn. “He looks like a serious footballer.”

Celtic without Matt O’Riley

O’Riley showed serious promise under Postecoglou, but went to serious levels under Rodgers and was the best player in Scotland last season.

Yet, with O’Riley out of the door, the team haven’t missed him, which is a credit to Rodgers, but also to the players.

Engels has played a huge part in that and has proven that he doesn’t need time to settle in.

What’s more exciting is that the best is yet to come and he could prove to be the difference maker for Celtic in the Champions League.

The Celtic record Jimmy Thelin is hunting down as Aberdeen boss just one win from matching Martin O’Neill

The Swede has made a relentless start to his Pittodrie career with 11 straight wins

Jimmy Thelin and Martin O’Neill

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin will look to match Martin O’Neill’s perfect start as Celtic manager by making it a dream dozen in Dundee.

The Swede has made an instant impact at Pittodrie leading his side to 11 straight victories. They have also seen off Queen of the South, East Kilbride, Airdrie, Dumbarton, Queen’s Park and Spartans in the cup. Thelin has led Aberdeen to five wins in the Scottish Premiership and now six wins in their Premier Sports Cup charges, where they have made the semi-finals and face Celtic in the semi-finals at Hampden in November.

The Aberdeen boss can boast league wins over St Johnstone,St Mirren, Kilmarnock, Ross County and Motherwell. If the Dons boss could put another win on the board at Dens Park on Saturday then it would see him equal the impressive run that O’Neill kicked off with as Hoops boss back in 2000. The Irishman made the switch from Leicester City and made his mark from the off in a season where he went on to lift a domestic treble.

O’Neill opened up with eight straight wins in the Scottish Premier League. He also backed that up with a win over Raith Rovers in the League Cup and UEFA Cup wins over Jeunesse Esch, home and away and then a Parkhead triumph over HJK. It was the Finns who inflicted O’Neill’s first defeat with a 2-1 in Helsinki, although Celtic went through 3-2 on aggregate.

If Aberdeen can get another three points in front of a sell-out Red Army then it will see Thelin and Aberdeen match a record that has stood for the last 24 years.

Martin O’Neill’s unbeaten Celtic start in 2000/01

Scottish Premier League

30/7/2000 Dundee United 1 Celtic 2

5/8/2000 Celtic 1 Motherwell 0

13/8/2000 Celtic 2 Kilmarnock 1

19/8/2000 Hearts 2 Celtic 4

27/8/2000 Celtic 6 Rangers 2

9/9/2000 Celtic 3 Hibernian 0

18/9/2000 Dunfermline 1 Celtic 2

23/9/2000 Celtic 1 Dundee 0

Scottish League Cup

5/9/2000 Celtic 4 Raith Rovers 0

UEFA Cup

10/10/2000 Jeunesse Esch 0 Celtic 4

24/10/2000 Celtic 7 Jeunesse Esch 0

14/9/2000 Celtic 2 HJK 0

German football legend slams Dortmund captain before Celtic UCL match

Emre Can

Borussia Dortmund should strip Germany international Emre Can of the captaincy ahead of their Champions League showdown with Celtic, according to legend Lothar Matthaus.

The Hoops travel to the Westfalenstadion next week for their second game in the new-look competition after getting off to a stunning start with a thumping win over Slovan Bratislava.

But Dortmund were rocked after being slaughtered by Stuttgart in a 5-1 Bundesliga defeat at the weekend.

New manager Nuri Sahin confirmed he would retain Can as captain even though he is now not a regular first choice pick for Dortmund and was benched in the defeat to Stuttgart.

And Mattheus – the first player to play in five consecutive World Cups and now a top TV pundit – reckons BVB have to make changes soon.

He said: “For me, a captain has to be a regular player.

“It has nothing to do with Emre Can as a person, but I would choose a different player as the captain.”

And Dortmund sports director Sebastian Kehl slammed his own players after their weekend loss and urged improvement ahead of tomorrow’s derby with Bochum and showdown with Celtic.

He said: “Everyone should take a look at themselves at that. Apart from a small number of players, I didn’t see anyone who was in form – or who gave the feeling that they wanted to win the game.

“That was very, very bad. We are very disappointed and really angry. Every player should be really angry too. We lost every 50/50 and were always too late.”

Former Celtic academy player, Aidan Borland, made his first-team debut for Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup last night.

Borland left Celtic for Aston Villa in August last year to make the switch to the English Premier League club as he followed the path of Ben Doak who joined Liverpool two years earlier to join Villa’s academy.

The 17-year-old has made five appearances for the Villa youth team which includes captaining the full 90-minutes against Young Boys in the UEFA Youth League and playing against the likes of Arsenal, Blackburn, Leeds United and Derby County in the Premier League 2.

And according to Aston Villa’s match report, Borland was rewarded with a place in the Carabao Cup matchday squad for his ‘strong performances‘ for the youth team.

Aidan Borland enjoys cameo Villa debut

Coming on as a 62nd-minute substitute, Borland got just under half an hour to show the Villa fans what he can do and the Celtic support what they could be missing in the 2-1 cup win.

In the 28 minutes he was on the pitch, the former Celtic youngster was rated 6.0 by Fotmob. Borland made good use of his 27 touches as he 22 passes with a 95% accuracy.

Borland also made one pass into Wycombe’s final third and had a 100% long ball passing accuracy. Defensively, the Scotland U17 midfielder contributed with one clearance, one defensive action and one ball recovery.

However, the youngster lost both of his duels as he failed to win each of the ground and ariel challenges he engaged in.

Borland joined a list of departed Celtic youngsters

Celtic fans have gotten a bit used to watching some of the club’s most talented youngsters leave the club to develop themselves in England or beyond.

Josh Adam and Vincent Angelini both left the club for Man City in 2020 and Watford in 2021 respectively as well as watching young Liam Morrison and Barry Hepburn leave for Bayern Munich.

More recently, Celtic have also lost Rocco Vata to Watford and yound Daniel Kelly to Millwall.

In many ways the youngsters cannot be blamed when the likes of Man City and Bayern Munich come calling.

Getting to play and learn from some of the world’s best players would appeal to any young football player.

However, Celtic must do better to retain these talented youth players and get them to progress to the first team and, hopefully, Player Pathway Manager Darren O’Dea can now do that in the near future.

Celtic’s win over Falkirk in the League Cup is still being spoken about his week as Brendan Rodgers’ side look forward to another trip to Hampden in November.

The 5-2 victory was a hard-fought one and one that the Celtic boss says he will take full blame for after the home side’s subpar performance.

Rodgers made eight changes to the Celtic team that defeated Slovan Bratislava just four days earlier and, to be fair, it showed.

Falkirk took advantage of that with a fine display of attacking and pressing football but, in the end, Celtic’s quality shone through after Rodgers made four changes on the 70th-minute mark.

All four subs made an immediate impact but Falkirk captain, Coll Donaldson was just happy that one player wasn’t called upon by the Celtic boss.

The ‘nightmare’ that is Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi

Rodgers called upon Arne Engels, Nicolas Kuhn, Hyunjun Yang and Greg Taylor to reverse the 2-1 deficit for Celtic.

And whilst the changes had a devastating impact, Donaldson was just happy the Celtic boss didn’t throw on Kyogo Furuhashi as well.

Donaldson said The Big Scottish Football Podcast, “Well, Kyogo was still warming up. So Kyogo was the one that I was like, oh please, just didn’t bring him on.

“Like he’s a nightmare, Kyogo, rapid, like a good finisher.”

67 Hail Hail has already discussed this afternoon about Kyogo’s changing role at the club after Adam Idah admitted he is learning from the Japanese striker.

The experience he has in Europe with Celtic and winning trophies domestically coupled with his international caps makes Kyogo the perfect player to learn from but as Donaldson points out, his pace and finishing are the scourge of the opposition.

At 29, the Japanese striker’s experience wasn’t required against Falkirk on Sunday but what is encouraging is that in his absence, Celtic have a striker in Idah who is more than capable of carrying the goalscoring burden.

The chatter around Falkirk and their League Cup defeat at Celtic Park continues after John McGlynn’s side’s battling performance on Sunday afternoon.

The Championship club gave Celtic a game of it after taking the lead twice and going into halftime at Celtic Park with a shock 2-1 lead.

Brendan Rodgers took the blame for the first-half performance after he made eight changes to his squad as he freshened up his team after Celtic’s midweek Champions League exploits.

However, Celtic’s power and class eventually shone through in a 20-minute blitz that saw Rodgers’ team turn a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 victory.

After the match Brendan Rodgers showed a touch of class as he visited the Falkirk dressing room at full time and now, The Bairns captain, Coll Donaldson, has shared what the Hoops boss said to his team.

Celtic boss gives Falkirk ‘the biggest mark of respect’

The Falkirk captain admits his team was gutted at full-time but did share ‘the biggest mark of respect’ the Celtic boss gave him and his team in the Parkhead changing rooms.

Donaldson told The Big Football Podcast, “But I was so proud of how the boys stuck to our task.

“And I think the biggest mark of respect was Brendan Rodgers actually came into our changing room whilst the gaffer was still speaking and just said how impressed he was.

“Not only in the way that we played during the game but in his analysis of us building up, he said it was a joy to look at how we play and that we play the same way every week.

“So I think these compliments are nice but I think as a professional footballer, we were still disappointed with the way that the last 20 minutes went.”

Falkirk and Celtic deserve League Cup plaudits

It goes without saying that Falkirk deserve every plaudit going after their gutsy Celtic Park performance. The way they pressed Rodgers’ side and forced them into mistakes to take the lead twice is commendable.

However, Celtic also deserve credit for the way they remained professional and stuck to their task running out eventual winners in the end.

The tactical switches made by Rodgers were just perfect as every substitute that was introduced made an instant impact.

Adam Idah’s sharpness complemented Nicolas Kuhn‘s ruthlessness as he created two and scored two to help get Celtic back in the game.

It was one of the best games of the season and being live on television was a great advert for Scottish football and for that, both teams deserve an immense amount of credit.

It’s still only September and already the transfer chat surrounding some of Celtic’s players has begun.

Indeed, this is not new to the Celtic supporters. Brendan Rodgers has several talented players at his disposal and being at a club like Celtic, these players will always court the attention of other clubs.

The fans saw it over the summer as Brighton relentlessly chased Matt O’Riley and also in previous years after losing the likes of Moussa Dembele, Odsonne Edouard and Kieran Tierney in big-money moves.

However, this next Celtic player is being tipped for a move by Michael Stewart not because of his performances for the club but because he is not impressing whenever he gets his chance.

Stewart ‘would not be surprised’ if Celtic sell Luis Palma

Luis Palma has been something of an enigma at Celtic. Signed by Ange Postecoglou in 2023 for £3.5m, the Honduran has never really got going after an impressive first six months at the club where he scored 10 goals and created 10 in the SPFL and Champions League.

However, now spending more time on the Celtic bench, Palma got his big chance against Falkirk but failed to make any impact whatsoever and now, Stewart reckons there is no ‘way back’ for him at Celtic.

Stewart told The Scottish Football Social Club, “For Luis Palma, I’m struggling to see how he is going to make his way back because the competition is tough.

“I don’t see how he is going to be able to make his way back at Celtic.

“I would not be surprised if come January he was being moved on elsewhere, because I don’t see him having the impact you would have hoped for and expected.

“He was a big summer transfer last year, so, no I wouldn’t be surprised if Palma is moved on.”

Palma faces tough competition at Celtic

Luis Palma could solve a problem for Celtic on the wing if he could just fulfil his clear potential and talent.

Brendan Rodgers does need more competition in those areas and the Honduras international could provide that.

However, the forms of Nicolas Kuhn, James Forrest, and Daizen Maeda pose a serious problem for Palma, because if he does get a chance to start, he really needs to take it.

And now, after his Falkirk performance, Palma could drop behind Hyunjun Yang in the pecking order after the South Korean replaced him in the second half and performed reasonably well.

The next few months are going to be huge for Palma and if he doesn’t start to perform to his capabilities, that could spell the end of his two-year stay at Celtic.

I joined Celtic Park pitch invasion after stopping Rangers winning 10-in-a-row – then moved to Ibrox MONTHS later

This former striker spent two years with the Light Blues and scored in the Champions League

Celtic football supporters fans celebrate stopping the 10 at Celtic Park

Former Rangers striker Ross McCormack revealed he joined the Parkhead pitch invasion when Celtic stopped the Ibrox side from winning 10-in-a-row – just months before he JOINED the Light Blues.

McCormack made his breakthrough at Rangers and was handed his debut by Alex McLeish as a teenager and netted a famous leveller against Porto in a Champions League fixture. But the 38-year-old opened up on his childhood Hoops allegiance before putting pen to paper in Govan. The former frontman who went for huge money in moves in England to Leeds United, Fulham, and Aston Villa admitted that he decided to move to Rangers after being told that he was “too small” by Celtic scouts when he went for a trial as an eight-year-old and opted for the “next best thing”.

McCormack spoke to Simon Ferry and Paul Slane on the Open Goal podcast and confessed: “I was a Celtic fan yeah. I had a season ticket. My last game we had the season ticket was St Johnstone at home when Celtic stopped Rangers getting ten-in-a-row. (Henrik) Larsson and (Harald) Brattbakk scored.

“I was on the pitch after that game stealing the grass and putting it in my pocket, during the pitch invasion at Parkhead. I was then 15 when I went full-time (with Rangers).

Ross McCormack celebrates for Rangers after scoring against Porto

“When I was eight I went for a trial (with Celtic) up at St Roch’s I’m sure, and they told me I was too small. And basically, that means you’re s****. They don’t want you. So I ended up going to Rangers.

“I think if Rangers had came in first, my dad might’ve said to wait and see if Celtic came in. But the fact I’d already been knocked back it was like, well, take the next best thing. That was my last game as a season ticket as I went full-time a couple of months later.”

McCormack replaced now Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta for his debut against Motherwell, who he joined later in his career, and his first goal came in a 3-2 win over Dunfermline when he had BORROW star striker Michael Mols’ boots.

He explained: “We were away to Dunfermline and I only had studs, and I wasn’t allowed to wear studs on that 3G pitch. So, Michael Mols had to give me a pair of his Copas! I was wearing Michael Mols’ boots! Jimmy Bell probably went to him and said ‘Listen, Ross has only got studs, is there any chance because you’re the same size, do you have any boots?'”

Celtic on this Day – Souleymane Coulibaly screamer beats Dorus De Vries

Today’s On This Day feature reflects on some recent outings. That includes recounting where we were this time last year…

24 September 2016, Celtic 6-1 Kilmarnock. Celtic continued their imperious start to the 16/17 league campaign with a heavy victory over Killie. The Hoops trailed the match though as Dorus De Vries was beaten from 35 yards as Souleymane Coulibaly scored goal of the season in what was one of the best strikes (watch below) an opposition player has ever scored at Celtic Park. The goalscorers that day were all of Rodgers success stories in that season: Dembele double, Forrest, Griffiths, Sinclair and Rogic.

19 years ago today, Celtic came from behind to defeat Craig Brewster’s Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2-1. It was a quick-fire double from Craig Beattie who netted twice in the space of 10 minutes to grab the all important three points in the end for the Hoops.

One year ago today, Celtic win comfortably 3-0 at the Tony Macaroni against Livingston despite playing most of the game with 10 men. Joe Hart was dismissed on 28 minutes for kung-fu kicking Mo Sangare. It was Hart’s only ever career red. However, Celtic were resilient with Hatate, O’Riley and Maeda making it 16 points from a possible 18 at the start of the campaign. It was Rodgers first win against Martindale away from home at what was usually a tricky venue for the Celtic manager to negotiate during his first spell.

24 September 1994, Celtic beat the Hibees 2-0 at the national stadium. A sparse crowd of 28,000 turned out to watch the Hoops ease past Alex Miller’s Hibernian. Fine finishes from Phil O’Donnell and John Collins ensured it was a straightforward afternoon at Hampden Park.

4 years ago today, Mohammed Elyounoussi scored a last-minute winner in the Latvian capital to narrowly defeat Riga. UEFA enforced a rule that because of travel restrictions, qualifiers were only one leg during the COVID season. Celtic had been embarrassingly beaten by Ferencvaros the previous month in the 2nd qualifying round of the Champions League and thus dropped down to Europa League qualifying. The Norwegian’s last-gasp winner sent Celtic through to the Europa League play-off round.

10 years ago today, Celtic 3-0 Hearts. Ronny Deila had entered the Scottish League Cup with the aim of becoming the first Celtic manager to win the trophy since 2009. It was a comfortable outing for Deila’s side. Commons and Gudetti were on target to make sure of the win. Celtic did go onto win the trophy that season.

Celtic trio set to be watched in Champions League as Hoops stars look to make elite ‘criterion’ grade

Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate | SNS

Celtic have been involved at Europe’s top table this season.

Three Celtic stars have been put on notice that their performances in Europe are being watched by their international manager.

Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi are all key members of Brendan Rodgers’ squad and played their part in a 5-1 thumping of Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League last week. Maeda and Kyogo netted in the game alongside Liam Scales, Arne Engels and Adam Idah.

Maeda has been a regular iin the Japanese national team squad while Hatate and Kyogo have faced more of a fight to retain their status in the camp. Now their performances at Europe’s elite tables are getting special notice from Japan boss Hajime Moriyasu.

Ahead of Celtic playing Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League next week, the manager says the level of opponent his players are up against is something he looks at closely for national team selection. He said: “We had 12 players – our highest-ever number – playing in the Champions League and I feel that Japan’s level has improved even further.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how Japanese players will fight to win the Champions League in the future. The level of opposition our players were up against last week isn’t everything, but it’s definitely something we look at as a criterion.

“So I only want to look at how well Japanese players can perform against teams that aim to win the Champions League.

“And we also look at how well Japanese national team candidates can perform in regular league matches against higher-ranked teams and more powerful teams in the world.”

On This Day: Kenny Miller’s wild celebrations in Celtic win over Rangers

Kenny Miller of Celtic celebrates after scoring against Rangers during the Scottish Premier League match between Celtic and Rangers at Celtic Park on September 23, 2006

On This Day in 2006, Gordon Strachan’s Celtic hosted Rangers at Celtic Park in the first derby of the season.

The Champions welcomed the visitors to Paradise as they looked to win the first meeting of the season and open up a seven point lead over the Ibrox club.

Paul Le Guen’s side opted to switch the sides before kickoff, meaning Celtic would attack the Rangers end in the second half.

The opening goal of the game came as ‘Mad Dog’ Tommy Gravesen followed in on a rebound from an Aiden McGeady header to give Celtic the lead. In fairness, McGeady was probably going to see the ball cross the line but the Dane was taking no chances as he followed in well. It was harsh that Neil Lennon didn’t get the credit for his assist, either.

McGeady turned provider in the second half after Celtic broke up a Rangers attack. The Irishman found Miller with a beautifully weighted ball that allowed Miller to run through and slot the ball behind Allan McGregor.

The goal sparked a fairly enthusiastic response from Miller, right in front of the Rangers support. It was his first for the club and he clearly enjoyed it in that moment.

Celtic: (4-4-2):-
Boruc, Telfer, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura (Sno 71), Lennon, Gravesen(Pearson 87), McGeady, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Miller (Zurawski 78).
Subs not used:- Marshall, Maloney, Balde, O’Dea.

THE JOCK STEIN YEARS: Part Fourteen

 

CELTIC legend Jock Stein had an extraordinary impact on the Parkhead club after returning as manager in March 1965.

In another CQN EXCLUSIVE, Alex Gordon, author of fifteen publications on Celtic, has opened his book files on the Parkhead great for an absorbing twenty-one part series.

Today, in Part Fourteen of our fascinating look back at these landmark times in the annals of fame at a momentous football club, we continue as Big Jock leads the club onwards and upwards.

IT WAS question time during the advent of season 1971/72. Could Celtic overtake their own record title sequence set in Edwardian times and achieve the hitherto unthinkable and improbable Magnificent Seven?

Had Aberdeen learned anything from their near-miss of the previous campaign? Could Rangers recover after a wretched term where they finished fourth, three points adrift of St Johnstone and a massive fifteen behind the champions and ancient foes? Would Edinburgh’s double-act of Hibs and Hearts stir from their slumbers and deliver a sustained challenge?

Could, in fact, Jock Stein lead Celtic to their twenty-seventh championship?

Intrigue surrounded events at Celtic Park. The Lisbon Lions’ era had faded into golden memory, never to be disturbed and forever cherished. Eyes were now riveted on Jock Stein. Clearly, he was in the throes of a rebuilding job.

He had inherited the likes of Billy McNeill, John Clark, Jim Craig, Bobby Murdoch, Tommy Gemmell, Bobby Lennox and Stevie Chalmers and, by his own recent admission, the irrepressible Jimmy Johnstone. That particular jigsaw had seen a few pieces removed in a summer of dramatic, but inevitable, change.

How would the Celtic manager cope?

“I have a dream of achieving a transition in the team and still staying at the top,” said Stein, with certain defiance. “I cannot promise it will succeed, but it is certainly the aim of everyone at Celtic.”

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN…Billy McNeill and his Celtic team-mates accept the plaudits of the fans after winning title No.7 in a row.

In these ever-changing times, Celtic prepared for their ‘home’ opening League Cup-tie – at Ibrox. The season’s curtain-raiser should have taken place at Celtic Park, but with renovations still taking place, the encounter had been switched to the home of their opponents, Rangers.

Hampden had been ruled out as it was also undergoing reconstruction work. By a quirk of the ballot, Celtic would play their old rivals three times in just over a month, twice in the League Cup and once in the First Division – all in Govan.

Stein and his players couldn’t have asked for a more fascinating introduction to a new campaign. Just how capable were the young pretenders such as Davie Hay, George Connelly and Kenny Dalglish? We were about to find out. So, too, were opponents, to their considerable cost. Starting with Rangers.

The manager introduced the aforementioned talented threesome to his line-up against Rangers. The experience that day was provided in the form of Billy McNeill, Bobby Murdoch, Jimmy Johnstone, Bobby Lennox and John Hughes. On the same day, at a deserted Celtic Park, Lisbon Lions Tommy Gemmell, Willie Wallace and Stevie Chalmers turned out for the reserves in a 1-1 draw with their Ibrox counterparts.

An enthralled crowd of 72,500 in Govan – the biggest attendance in Britain that weekend – watched a gripping and suspenseful encounter swaying to and fro until a sixty-seventh-minute strike from Johnstone rocketed high into the net to put the home/away team in the ascendancy.

One-time Rangers fan Dalglish was handed the ball by captain McNeill when referee Bill Mullen was left with little alternative to award a penalty-kick following a scything tackle by Willie Mathieson which had downed Hughes and, just three minutes after the opener, the twenty-year-old forward, displaying signs of things to come, calmly sidefooted the ball away from Peter McCloy to the keeper’s left as the beanpole custodian elected to take a chance on moving to the opposite corner.

A fortnight later, the teams locked horns again, this time in Rangers’ home game, and once more Dalglish scored with the breakthrough goal three minutes after the turnaround. Tommy Callaghan and Bobby Lennox were also on target to hoist the winning margin to 3-0. On this occasion, Stein added Lou Macari to his three Quality Street Gang compatriots and the chirpy, cocky little lad from Largs thoroughly revelled in the occasion.

Macari claimed his first Old Firm goal two weeks later when Celtic played once more at the home of their lifelong rivals, this time on league business. On this occasion, though, it took a last-minute strike from Johnstone to secure a 3-2 victory with Dalglish, clearly glorying in these duels, hitting his third goal in as many games.

To onlookers it looked fairly obvious he had shed all allegiance to his former heroes. Ironically, Alfie Conn, who crossed the Great Divide via Spurs in 1977 to become the first post World War II player to turn out for Celtic and Rangers, was dismissed that afternoon after two bookings.

HAMPDEN CONSOLATION…Kenny Dalglish, watched by Lou Macari, scrambles in Celtic’s goal past Alan Rough in the Hoops’ Leagie Cup Final shocker.

And, so, the scene was set for a memorable campaign, an exciting influx of fresh-faced youngsters as Stein steered Celtic towards a new era. Once the dust of battle had settled on another season of celebration, the Celtic manager said: “The business of changing a side is never easy. It is perhaps doubly difficult when it is attempted during the season.

“That is why, when I look into the Celtic Park boardroom and see the two trophies, the League Championship award and the Scottish Cup, sitting there yet again I salute the players who achieved it.

“It was our seventh successive league trophy, a wonderful record-breaking feat of which I am so proud, but I think it can truthfully be said that it was a different Celtic side who won it. There were a bright new crop of Celtic youngsters such as Kenny Dalglish and Lou Macari, who turned out to be just as exciting as the players they replaced.

“I would have loved to have kept together the 1967 Lisbon Lions side, but the football world is littered with the wrecks of managers who could not see the need for change.”

Two players who had been moved on, John Hughes and Willie Wallace, were in the Hampden stand when Celtic played Partick Thistle in the League Cup Final on October 23 1971 in one of the most perplexing games in the club’s history. Jock Stein’s team were runaway favourites, but somehow contrived to be four goals adrift at the interval.

No-one could quite believe what they were witnessing that afternoon at the national stadium. Everything the Firhill club did going forward ended in the net behind Evan Williams. Kenny Dalglish scrambled in a consolation goal in the second-half, but the trophy was already heading for Maryhill. That performance had not been in the script.

However, on April 15, with four league games still to play, Celtic wrapped up their seventh successive championship following a 3-0 saunter against East Fife at Methill, the sort of ground that made Airdrie’s Broomfield look like a state-of-the-art sporting arena.

Twelve thousand fans crammed it to watch Stein’s outfit, with only three Lisbon Lions in the line-up – Billy McNeill, Jim Craig and Bobby Murdoch – ease to the flag with two opportunist goals from Dixie Deans and a slick header from Harry Hood.

HAMPDEN HERO…hat-trick man Dixie Deans races away after netting one of his sizzling trio in the 6-1 win over Hibs. Keeper Jim Herriot and right-back John Brownlie are helpless.

The race had transformed to a canter as the champions eventually claimed the silverware in a breeze, ten points clear of Aberdeen and sixteen ahead of third-placed Rangers.

The Scottish Cup was added to the honours list with an astonishing individual striking display from Dixie Deans, ironically brought to the club in the fall-out of the League Cup Final failure against Partick Thistle. A fortnight after that debacle, Jock Stein paid £22,000 to Motherwell for their chunky frontman and it turned out to be money well spent.

He collected a hat-trick in the 6-1 victory over Hibs with Billy McNeill piloting the team to success with the opening goal. Lou Macari added the others on a glittering May 6 afternoon in Mount Florida that saw Jim Craig make his farewell appearance for the club.

The lad always had a sense of style. In the showpiece events, Celtic had been awful against Thistle and awesome against the Edinburgh side.

THE CUP THAT CHEERS…Jock Stein with the newly-won Scottish Cup on the Celtic coach on their way to aftermatch celebrations.

Jock Stein rarely basked in reflected glory and, already looking towards the challenge of next season, remarked: “I could never have predicted in my wildest dreams that we would go on to win the championship so easily, perhaps the smoothest run-in we have had in all of my seven titles.

“If I ever lost the pleasure I get from winning then I will know it is time to quit football. I do not believe in living in the past – as I think I have proved – and I look for even more of our youngsters making the breakthrough next season. However, for all our resources, I wouldn’t want to make any forecasts about next season’s title.”

Asked about the possibility of another team emulating Celtic’s achievement of seven successive crowns, Jock Stein didn’t hesitate with his assertion.

“It won’t happen again in my lifetime.”

John McGlynn to Hearts and St Johnstone next boss talk earns firm Falkirk response

The Bairns’ boss has been touted with a return to Premiership management

Parkhead hero Finn Yeats reckons fans will have the handcuffs out to keep John McGlynn at the Falkirk Stadium.

The Bairns boss has shot on to the list of candidates for the vacant St Johnstone manager’s gig – and has also been talked up for a return to Hearts. McGlynn is hot property after an unbeaten start to the Championship on the back of last season’s invincible League One triumph. And the reigning Manager of the Year showed his dugout chops at the weekend as his side pushed Celtic all the way in the Premier Sports Cup before going down to a late blitz.

Yeats – who put Falkirk 2-1 up at Parkhead – hailed his gaffer’s impact. And he’s hoping McGlynn sticks around for their push for the Premiership. Yeats said: “He’s massive. He’d just come in when I first signed for Falkirk and you could tell already he had a game plan and a two-year project. Look at what we’ve done. We were invincible last season and are still unbeaten in the league this year.

“He’s simply great for the confidence of the boys and a great manager for us players as he helps you out and wants you to get on the ball. I’m not surprised there is interest in him.

“Do we want to handcuff him to the stadium? I think the fans do too! He’s been so on the ball for a couple of seasons now. That’s up to John but I’m pretty sure he’d like to stay.

“We’ll find out but hopefully we will be in the Premiership next season playing against the top boys. We can’t get too excited as there’s usually a drop-off after games like Sunday but we need to get back to business.”

Yeats admitted he was thrilled with his moment in the spotlight against Celtic as he nodded his side in front for the second time during the match. Celts eventually sent on their big guns to run out 5-2 winners but the display will only bolster the feeling Falkirk can crack the Championship and secure back-to-back promotions.

Yeats said: “I don’t score too many goals to be honest. I think I’ve scored about once in two years. It was a good ball and I headed it clean, back across the goal and it trundled in.

“It was probably the biggest moment in my career and I’ll remember it for a good while. I was looking to do a knee slide! It was a good time to score, right on halftime, but they brought on their big boys and they finished us off.

“I’ve got legs – even though I came off with cramp after 65 minutes! The first half was about getting up to the box as much as possible. Overall I was delighted with my performance.

“We are quite a confident group and we showed that by playing our stuff and not lying down to Celtic. But to go there and score two goals should give us massive belief we can go and take this league by storm.

“It’s still really early so it’s about getting back to business against Raith. The boys were saying afterwards it was such a buzz going there and you want to go twice a season. We can take confidence from knowing we can got there and play.”

Celtic vs Falkirk LIVE score and goal updates from Premier Sports Cup quarter final clash

Brendan Rodgers takes on John McGlynn in League Cup battle of the Invincibles

Celtic host John McGlynn’s Falkirk in today’s quarter-final clash

The Celtic train is rolling along nicely after a 100 per cent start to the season.

And following a five-star display in the Champions League against Slovan Bratislava, it’s expected that the next stop will be the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals.

But unbeaten Falkirk stand between Brendan Rodgers and a spot in the last four, where his side will face one of Motherwell, Aberdeen or Rangers.

The Bairns have already sprung a surprise in this competition, dumping out sorry Hearts in the last round to set up today’s Parkhead showdown.

But the champions away from home will present a far more formidable test than the Jambos did, and no one is giving McGlynn’s men much hope of upsetting the odds.

Rodgers may well ring the changes and Celtic will remain strong as they juggle the domestic charge with European improvements.

Record Sport will be across all the action from Glasgow’s East End right here on the LIVE blog.

12:10Michael Gannon

Celtic board can ease up on the backslapping

Brendan Rodgers

There will have been an outburst of backslapping in the Celtic boardroom this week with the Slovan Bratislava bashing a couple of days after announcing bumper financial results.

The Hoops are off to a Champions League flier, unbeaten in the league and set for a crack at the last four of the Premier Sports Cup. It all looks so rosy in the garden the only danger on the horizon is getting hay fever. But the Celtic Park suits shouldn’t be stopping to smell the flowers. They sit pretty right now – but it’s been a thorny path to get here. And for all the high-fiving going on, there should be the self-awareness to accept lessons must be learned.

The board might be feeling pretty chuffed, especially when Brendan Rodgers said on Friday the club had been vindicated its strategy. But it was a cute way of phrasing it. The manager is the one who has been vindicated. It’s Rodgers who wanted the streamlined recruitment process of buying a couple of £10m players rather than scattering £20m on 10 new faces and hoping one or two came good.

Miller’s got just the ticket

Falkirk winger Calvin Miller (Image: SNS Group)

It’s a ritual when lower-league opposition pitches up at Parkhead or Ibrox in the cup to ask who has been begging players for briefs.

“Nobody needs a ticket this week for the Falkirk end so that tells you a lot!” laughed Celt turned Bairn Calvin Miller when put to him. Sure enough, the 26-year-old was in the stands himself on Wednesday to watch Brendan Rodgers’ side warm up for today with a 5-1 shellacking of Slovan Bratislava.

Every time the net bulged may have brought glee and a gulp in tandem but the attacker is adamant sides bossed by John McGlynn, just like his old gaffer Rodgers, will leave the bus where it belongs in the car park.

12:04Hugh Keevins

Celtic strength there for all to see

Celtic new signings

Celtic fans have long wanted the club to be taken to the next level. When the BBC showed Celtic’s systematic dismantling of Slovan Bratislava to the nation ahead of Manchester City’s game with Inter Milan, on the basis it was a better watch, the club knew it had arrived at its destination.

Brendan Rodgers knows, though, that doesn’t allow his players to believe there are other competitions too parochial to be of any concern to them. “We can never, ever forget … the bread and butter,” he said after the league defeat of Hearts. “It’s so important. It’s the lives of so many supporters, especially in Glasgow. We can never discount that.”

The next level means you are charged with the responsibility of being successful at home and abroad. Falkirk stand between Celtic and the potential winning of the first trophy that goes towards a domestic Treble. When Celtic chairman Peter Lawwell announced the club’s latest set of financial figures, from a different stratosphere to any other club in the country, he included a mission statement. “We must strive for progression as a club as the industry evolves at a remarkable pace,” he said.

Lawwell also knows that doesn’t mean lavish cash reserves, and reputational refurbishment in Europe, diminish other competitions to the level of a two-bob irrelevance.

Rodgers could make 11 changes to his starting line-up from the side who created Champions League history by recording their biggest win in the competition. And he’d still field a side containing seven-figure signings and capped players from a variety of countries.

Former Rangers and Liverpool man says he’d have ‘preferred’ new Celtic signing to make Ibrox switch

The new Hoops star was brought in this summer from EFL Championship outfit Sheffield United.

It was a busy summer transfer window across the Scottish Premiership with several clubs making big moves to strengthen their squads and other players leaving on high profile deals.

Celtic raked in the cash with the sale of Matt O’Riley to Brighton & Hove Albion but weren’t shy in spending it either on the likes of Arne Engels and Adam Idah. Another player they brought in was defender Auston Trusty who was brought in from Sheffield United and signed a five year contract with the Scottish champions.

The USA international may have only made one appearance so far this season but one of his former teammates says he will be ‘hard to shift’ when he does breakthrough into the starting XI. Danny Wilson, the former Rangers and Hearts centre back now with Championship side Queen’s Park, played alongside Trusty at MLS outfit Colorado Rapids.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/celtic-pressure-auston-trusty-rangers-33712844

Speaking about the new Hoops man, Wilson says he would rather have seen him join old club Rangers but is tipping the defender for success in the Scottish Premiership. Speaking to the Daily Record, he said: “I spoke to Auston last year when the Rangers interest was there. I didn’t think he’d end up at Ibrox as I always felt he’d want to test himself in the Premier League.

“I touched base with him to see if there was anything in it – but he wasn’t giving too much away. I’d have preferred if he was on the other side of the city. But he’ll do well at Celtic, I’ve no doubts about that. Auston will handle it here. Nothing seems to faze him and he’s relaxed in everything he does. He’s also got a real belief in his ability.

“Going to a club like Celtic won’t faze him at all. He’ll have to earn the right to be a starter there but once he does, he’ll be fine. He’s got a job on his hands with Scales in the team. But once Auston gets in, it will be very hard to shift him. He’s got the right temperament for Glasgow. That has led him to this move.

“He hasn’t rushed anything he’s ever done, he’s made smart steps at the right time in his career. He now finds himself at a Champions League club in Celtic and they’ll be strong favourites for the title and domestic cups. That’s the challenge for Auston, to go and win things. Last season, with all respect, nothing was expected of Sheffield United in the Champions League. But he’s in a different scenario now where everything is expected of them.

“I don’t have to give him any advice because he’s a sensible guy. He doesn’t drink and he looks after himself, in terms of his diet and stuff like that. He’s not someone who’s out all the time, which is important when you play for one of the big two in Glasgow. You can’t be here, there and everywhere. Auston isn’t that type and when Celtic will have done their checks on him, they’ll have found this out. They’ll know he has the temperament to be successful there. Anyone who has ever worked with him will have told them that.”

Backslapping Celtic board need self awareness as cute Brendan Rodgers comments show who’s really driving the process

Bashing Slovan Bratislava after banking even more cash doesn’t mean Parkhead powerbrokers have cracked it

There will have been an outburst of backslapping in the Celtic boardroom this week with the Slovan Bratislava bashing a couple of days after announcing bumper financial results.

The Hoops are off to a Champions League flier, unbeaten in the league and set for a crack at the last four of the Premier Sports Cup. It all looks so rosy in the garden the only danger on the horizon is getting hay fever. But the Celtic Park suits shouldn’t be stopping to smell the flowers. They sit pretty right now – but it’s been a thorny path to get here. And for all the high-fiving going on, there should be the self-awareness to accept lessons must be learned.

The board might be feeling pretty chuffed, especially when Brendan Rodgers said on Friday the club had been vindicated its strategy. But it was a cute way of phrasing it. The manager is the one who has been vindicated. It’s Rodgers who wanted the streamlined recruitment process of buying a couple of £10m players rather than scattering £20m on 10 new faces and hoping one or two came good.

It’s only a few weeks since the manager admitted there were issues in the recruitment department that need addressing. A solid final week of the window doesn’t change that. Rodgers rightly hailed the recruitment team for unearthing Arne Engels. But it took until the final days of the window to secure him and the rest of recruitment was pretty much on the boss.

He’s the one who got on the blower to land Kasper Schmeichel. He liked the look of Luke McCowan and jumped when the chance arose. Before then, Rodgers was the man who wanted Adam Idah – who could have been snapped up for far less dosh if the board hadn’t baulked at the fee back in January.

Rodgers has driven the process since the woeful first summer window after his return and that is going to be an issue for the next phase of his masterplan. The Engels deal is the one that will have had the board in cold sweats but that is exactly the kind of business Celtic need to be doing to advance the club.

Poor previous performances have left the coefficient in the gutter and automatic qualification is out of the window again. There needs to be three Engels a season coming in – and that means the recruitment side needs to be sharpened up and the model severely tweaked.

Celtic’s financial statement spoke for itself but “keep doing what we’re doing” isn’t a concrete five-to- 10-year plan. They won’t always have Rodgers to rely on and recruitment and stadium issues will need to be tackled.

Chief executive Michael Nicholson still hasn’t sat down with the media since taking the helm and as long as the punters keep shelling out, they deserve to be kept in the loop. Celtic can’t afford to rest on their laurels as a slap on the back is only a few inches higher than a boot up the backside.

As Celtic prepare to face Falkirk in the League Cup this weekend, Luis Palma has been told what he needs to do to get back into Brendan Rodgers’ starting lineup.

The Honduran international has struggled to reclaim his spot ever since picking up an injury against Kilmarnock on the opening day of the season.

On top of that, the form of Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn and James Forrest has also meant that Palma faces the difficult task of even getting off the bench after being an unused substitute in the Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava midweek.

However, despite that, Luis Palma has been told exactly what he must do to get himself back in contention for a starting spot at Celtic so he can be a regular starter once again.

Palma needs to hit the gym at Celtic

Honduras legend, Rambo de Leon, has been speaking about Palma’s struggles at Celtic and believes that his fellow countryman needs to work on his physicality.

De Leon has played for the likes of Torino, Parma and Genoa over the course of his career and also picked up 83 caps for his country before he retired so is well-placed to offer the Celtic winger some words of advice.

De Leon told Deportes TVC, “The boy has been recovering from a knock, let’s hope he gets back to his best so he can return to the starting line-up.”

“It is difficult to return to the starting line-up when you are injured, you have enough capacity to do it, you have to be a bit more aggressive because nowadays you have to know how to kick, to make yourself respected.”

“He has the technical quality, but physically he is unbalanced, he needs to do a bit more gym, when he manages to get that he will be a starter wherever he is.”

Palma’s big season at Celtic

Palma had a blistering start to his career at Celtic as he made his mark not only on the domestic scene but also in the Champions League last season.

However, he struggled to re-capture that form and faded onto the Celtic bench in the second half of last season.

With Brendan Rodgers adding more quality to the Celtic squad over the summer and looking to strengthen again in January, Palma needs to produce the goods as the Celtic boss has already proven that if he believes a player won’t do a job for him, he will be ruthless and move them on.

Palma does have the quality to shine as he proved on the US Tour, if he gets his chance this afternoon against Falkirk, then the Honduran will need to show the Celtic boss he has listened to his advice and has a place at Paradise.

Arne Engels has made an impressive start to life at Celtic.

It’s never easy donning those Celtic colours because the pressure is immense, especially when you are the club-record transfer.

But Engels has helped Brendan Rodgers make the perfect start in the Scottish Premiership and then play a key role in Celtic’s dominating Champions League win.

It all started with that penalty against Hearts and he showcased his composure again from the spot when the team put five goals past Slovan Bratislava.

In recent times, questions have been raised and debates have raged as to whether the powers that be splash the cash on players like they should.

Everyone was gutted to see Matt O’Riley leave Celtic, but it was expected, as fans were more concerned about how that £30 million was going to be spent.

Andy Walker expressed how he doubted the Bhoys spending the big money and how he didn’t expect a player like Engels to arrive.

But to his shock, £11 million was put down on the table for the 21-year-old and he has now ‘settled in so quickly’, as he told Go Radio.

Walker admitted that he got it ‘wrong’ with the midfielder and now he is watching him thrive in the middle of the park for his new club.

But Walker also interestingly claimed that Celtic would only allow Rodgers to spend that sort of money and wouldn’t have given that power to past managers.

Arne Engels’ Celtic transfer fee

“What I see is someone with a big reputation now, he has come for a huge fee and you can already see that he has settled in so quickly,” said Walker.

“There has been no setting in period if you like. He has been effective since getting the shirt. You can see that he has got goals in him. He has some key passes. He has some forward passes. He has some killer passes in him. He has good physique, running power and energy.

“He is the type of player every Celtic supporter was wanting the club to sign. Spend a bit of money. That’s where I got it wrong. I didn’t think Celtic would spend at that level. I don’t think they would have done with any other manager. I think they are believing in Brendan Rodgers and the possibility of him taking them a bit further in Europe. And getting them a bit of respectability that maybe was lacking over the last few years.”

Arne Engels has raised the levels at Celtic

What is impressive about the player is that he is effectively replacing O’Riley, so there is that pressure and then repping the champions.

But he has fired pretty much straightaway and also raised the levels

Andy Walker admits he has got it ‘wrong’ about Arne Engels at Celtic

Arne Engels has made an impressive start to life at Celtic.

It’s never easy donning those Celtic colours because the pressure is immense, especially when you are the club-record transfer.

But Engels has helped Brendan Rodgers make the perfect start in the Scottish Premiership and then play a key role in Celtic’s dominating Champions League win.

It all started with that penalty against Hearts and he showcased his composure again from the spot when the team put five goals past Slovan Bratislava.

In recent times, questions have been raised and debates have raged as to whether the powers that be splash the cash on players like they should.

Everyone was gutted to see Matt O’Riley leave Celtic, but it was expected, as fans were more concerned about how that £30 million was going to be spent.

Andy Walker expressed how he doubted the Bhoys spending the big money and how he didn’t expect a player like Engels to arrive.

But to his shock, £11 million was put down on the table for the 21-year-old and he has now ‘settled in so quickly’, as he told Go Radio.

Walker admitted that he got it ‘wrong’ with the midfielder and now he is watching him thrive in the middle of the park for his new club.

But Walker also interestingly claimed that Celtic would only allow Rodgers to spend that sort of money and wouldn’t have given that power to past managers.

Arne Engels’ Celtic transfer fee

“What I see is someone with a big reputation now, he has come for a huge fee and you can already see that he has settled in so quickly,” said Walker.

“There has been no setting in period if you like. He has been effective since getting the shirt. You can see that he has got goals in him. He has some key passes. He has some forward passes. He has some killer passes in him. He has good physique, running power and energy.

“He is the type of player every Celtic supporter was wanting the club to sign. Spend a bit of money. That’s where I got it wrong. I didn’t think Celtic would spend at that level. I don’t think they would have done with any other manager. I think they are believing in Brendan Rodgers and the possibility of him taking them a bit further in Europe. And getting them a bit of respectability that maybe was lacking over the last few years.”

Arne Engels has raised the levels at Celtic

What is impressive about the player is that he is effectively replacing O’Riley, so there is that pressure and then repping the champions.

But he has fired pretty much straightaway and also raised the levels, which only helps the team and the club’s bench strength.

Paulo Bernardo is pretty unlucky not to be starting for Celtic, but to have a man of that quality on the bench just proves the depth the team has.

Even looking towards other players, Adam Idah could lead the line for Celtic and fire them to titles, but he has Kyogo Furuhashi ahead of him.

, which only helps the team and the club’s bench strength.

Paulo Bernardo is pretty unlucky not to be starting for Celtic, but to have a man of that quality on the bench just proves the depth the team has.

Even looking towards other players, Adam Idah could lead the line for Celtic and fire them to titles, but he has Kyogo Furuhashi ahead of him.

THE JOCK STEIN YEARS: Part Twelve

CELTIC legend Jock Stein made an extraordinary immediate impact on the Parkhead club when he returned as manager in March 1965.

In another CQN EXCLUSIVE,  Alex Gordon, author of fifteen publications on Celtic, has opened his book files on the Parkhead great for an absorbing twenty-one part series.

Today, in Part Twelve of our fascinating look back at these landmark times in the annals of fame at a momentous football club, we  continue with a memory that still haunts Celtic – the 2-1 European Cup Final loss to Feyenoord on May 6 1970 in the San Siro Stadium in Milan.

DAVIE HAY still insists Celtic would have won at least one more European Cup if the club had managed to hold on to the cream of the Quality Street Gang; the group of supremely-gifted youngsters who were eagerly awaiting their opportunity to emulate, and possibly eclipse, the Lisbon Lions.

Kenny Dalglish, Lou Macari and Hay were sold as the club cashed in on their talents. George Connelly, disillusioned by football, sadly strayed out of the game. Danny McGrain, a genuine world class right-back, remained loyal to the club, but could have done with the company of team-mates of a similar and substantial stature.

‘It was a shame that side was broken up in the seventies,’ said Hay. ‘If the club had done more to keep us, I have no doubt we would have all been delighted to remain Celtic players for the rest of our careers.

‘For my own part, I had sought the sort of wage I thought I merited. I wasn’t being greedy; money has never been my god. I wasn’t looking for a fortune, either.

‘I had a family, a mortgage, a car and all the other household bills that can mount up. But my basic wage at Celtic was only £65-per-week and I thought I was worth £100.

‘Don’t get me wrong, the bonuses were excellent. However, if you were injured, suspended or simply dropped, then you were on the basic. That made life tough.

‘I had gone on a one-man strike, but had returned in a 3-1 League Cup semi-final win against Rangers in December before going to play for Scotland in the World Cup Finals in West Germany the following summer in 1974. Even if I do say so myself, I had quite a successful tournament and my name was being mentioned with some top English clubs.

‘Manchester United and Leeds, I believe, had shown interest. I had even had talks with Spurs boss Bill Nicholson, but I preferred to remain at Celtic.

‘When I arrived home after the competition I had made up my mind I would patch up my differences with Celtic and remain at the club. I had discussed it fully with my wife, Catherine, and I was going to accept what was on offer at Parkhead, buy a pub as a safety net and concentrate completely on getting on with business at the club that was always closest to my heart. There would be no more walk-outs.

‘I was, as always, prepared to do my utmost for Celtic and the supporters. Big Jock had other ideas. I was summoned to Parkhead on a Sunday morning and, before I could say a word, Jock told me, “I think it’s better you move on.” Just like that. My Celtic career ended there and then.

‘I wanted to stay, but, clearly, I was being shown the door and that hurt. Chelsea, I was soon to discover, were willing to pay a hefty fee for me. That would have appealed to the Celtic board back then. I had cost nothing and I was about to be sold for over a quarter-of-a-million pounds. They had accepted £200,000 for Lou Macari from Manchester United a year earlier.

‘Lou didn’t want to go, either, but football is a short career and, without sounding mercenary, you have to make the money while you can. Chelsea offered me a basic wage of £215-per-week, more than double what I thought I was worth to Celtic.

“Importantly, they made me feel wanted. I signed for them and Kenny Dalglish would be the next big-name transfer out of Parkhead when he joined Liverpool for £440,000 a few years later.

‘I often wonder what would have happened if we had all stayed and played throughout the seventies. I am utterly convinced we would have conquered Europe again. If the board had invested in the team with a couple of other quality players and paid the going rate in wages, I’m sure we would have remained at the top for years.

‘Without sounding in any way conceited – anyone who knows me will tell you I am not that sort of person – I believe a team with the nucleus of myself, Lou, Kenny, Danny and George, would have taken some shifting. I was very friendly with George at Celtic and I still am today. He was a big honest laddie, maybe a bit shy of all the publicity and fuss that was made of a Celtic player.

‘If I had stuck around, who knows what might have happened? Possibly George would have, too, because I was a pal he could always confide in. If there was anything troubling George he knew where to come. He even came out in support of me and staged his own walk-out. Now that’s solidarity!’

There was speculation that the Celtic players had taken their eye off the ball while they thrashed out commercial deals before the 1970 European Cup Final.

‘Not so,’ answered Hay. ‘Yes, an agent had been appointed to look after those sort of matters, but it certainly didn’t interfere with our preparations for the game. A story broke around that time, but it was all a lot of baloney. No doubt, lawyers would be brought in these days and writs would fly about, but back then we just shrugged our shoulders and thought no more about it.’

Despite possibly his best game for the club, Evan Williams was ultimately a loser in the 2-1 extra-time defeat against Feyenoord. He recalled, ‘I thought I played well that night. It was maybe just as well because I don’t think I was ever worked so hard in any game for the club before or after.

‘The Dutch just kept coming at us in waves and they were hammering in shots from all over the place. We were only about two minutes away from a replay – they didn’t have penalty-kicks in those days – when Ove Kindvall got their winning goal.’

Hay said, ‘Believe me, if we had played them again we would have beaten them. We wouldn’t have got caught cold again. They were a whole lot better than we anticipated. They were really well organised and had excellent players.

‘Even Big Jock appeared to write them off. He told us their left-sided midfielder Wim van Hanagem was “a poor man’s Jim Baxter”. We were told he would tire and drop out of things after about half-an-hour. He was still pinging passes all over the place in extra-time.

‘Like Bobby Murdoch, Bertie Auld and George Connelly, he was a great exponent of making the ball do all the work. By the way, he was also good enough to make over one hundred appearances for Holland, including the 1974 World Cup Final against West Germany.

‘He was a player we never got to grips with in the San Siro, but he would never have had the luxury of time and space in any replay. Big Jock also changed the line-up of the side that had beaten Leeds United home and away, going with two midfielders, Bobby and Bertie, and dropping George to the subs’ bench.

‘Unfortunately, Feyenoord were extremely strong in that part of the pitch and it was virtually impossible for our two guys to dominate the way they had done against Inter Milan three years earlier.

‘Kindvall, up front, had a fabulous turn of pace and was a constant threat when they got the ball forward. Wim Jansen, with whom I am still friendly after his one-season league-winning stint as Celtic manager in 1998, was in the middle of the park for them and he was a real dynamo. He was up and down the pitch all evening, tackling, passing and shooting.

‘Bertie would later joke that Big Jock had reassured him that he would not see Jansen in the final. “He was right,” said Bertie. “One minute he was there, the next he was gone.” Their manager was the astute Austrian Ernst Happel who had done his homework on Celtic.

‘Jinky was obviously pinpointed as a threat and, it must be admitted, Happel got his tactics spot on. Jinky was shown inside all night where Feyenoord double and even treble-banked when facing him. He would simply run into a wall of bodies in a congested area and then van Hanagem would reverse the roles with one of his accurate long-range passes.

‘There’s no way anyone can point the finger at Big Jock when you consider what he did for the club. However, he seemed quite relaxed preparing for this game. The guys who had played in Libson told me he was really strict in 1967.

‘He worried about how much pool time they should have, how long they could stay in the sun, what they were eating and drinking, when was the best time for meals, all that sort of stuff.

‘He was meticulous. It was different, though, in the countdown for this one.

‘Let’s face it, we all thought we would win. We had beaten very good Italian champions Fiorentina 3-1 on aggregate in the quarter-final with Bertie putting on a remarkable display in the first leg in Glasgow. I played that night and Bertie was exceptional.

‘We had also taken care of Leeds United home and away in the semi-final. A goal from George in the opening moments was enough at their place and, after my wee Scottish mate Billy Bremner had levelled on aggregate with a fantastic strike at Hampden, John Hughes and then Bobby Murdoch netted in the second-half to give us a 3-1 overall victory.

‘We were already being hailed as European champions because the English media had assured everyone that Leeds were the best team in the world and not just Europe. You know, Big Jock wanted to play them in the Final. That was his wish. He groaned when he heard the semi-final draw.

‘He knew we could beat Leeds and he wanted to do it while the rest of Europe was looking on. I don’t think we were complacent against Feyenoord. Confident, yes, but not complacent. They played really well at the San Siro. Yet, we opened the scoring when Bobby Murdoch back-heeled a free-kick to Tommy Gemmell and he fired a ferocious drive into the net from just outside the box.

‘Bobby Lennox scored a perfectly legitimate goal, too, that was ruled out. We didn’t make a fuss at the time after he cut in from the left to hit a right foot shot across their keeper and into the corner of the net. The Italian referee, Concetto Lo Bello, ruled it out for offside.

‘Later on, we saw film of the game and, amazingly, Bobby was played onside by three of their defenders. Not one or two, but three. That wee man was far too fast for his own good.

‘To be honest, though, the Dutch played very, very well. They had a game plan and they stuck to it. We were asked to defend more often in that game than any other I can remember. Evan Williams was brilliant, probably his best-ever performance for us.

‘They were solid at the back and they broke forward in numbers. We were out of sorts. Maybe if we had held our lead until half-time we might have done a whole lot better. As it was, they got a dodgy free-kick on the right and, after a bit of ping pong in our penalty area, the ball fell perfectly for their skipper Rinus Israel to head back across Evan high into the net. Our advantage lasted approximately three minutes.

‘Their winning goal was downright bizarre, but, at least, showed the sportsmanship of Bobby Murdoch. The referee awarded them a free-kick about midway in our half in from the right. The ball was rolling away and Bobby, with all the innocence in the world, picked it up and handed to his Dutch opponent.

‘He could have let the ball run and the Dutch would have had to go and retrieve it for themselves. He could even have given it another nudge to send it further down the line. That would have given us time to erect a defensive wall and prepare for any threat. Bobby, though, actually picked up the ball and threw it to a Feyenoord player.

‘The Dutchman didn’t even have the good grace to say thank you. He planted it on the ground, looked up, spotted Kindvall lurking behind Big Billy and simply flighted the ball in the direction of his unmarked colleague.’

Billy McNeill recalled, ‘I still don’t know why I did what I did. I didn’t get the opportunity to organise the troops and, suddenly and without warning, the ball was dropping behind me. In normal circumstances, I would have set myself for a header, but, on this occasion, I was on the back foot.

‘I threw up my hands and stunned the ball. It dropped behind me where Kindvall was waiting and it couldn’t have sat up any better for him. He raced forward as Evan left his line and just managed to get his toe to the ball to lift it over our keeper into the net.

‘The referee had played advantage and I am often asked what would have happened if Kindvall had missed. The letter of the law says the game would have remained 1-1.

‘It should have been a penalty-kick, of course, because of my handball, but the match official had waved play on, so, technically, he had overlooked that offence to play the advantage rule.

‘You can’t have it both ways. It’s all conjecture now. He scored and we lost. Although I do agree with Davie, we would have beaten them in a replay. That would have been an entirely different game.

Celtic pressure won’t faze my mate Auston Trusty – I just wish he’d signed for Rangers instead

Danny Wilson was Auston Trusty’s defensive partner in the MLS and ex-Ibrox defender is convinced that he’ll excel for Celtic

Auston Trusty savours Celtic debut as he comes on in Champions League thumping win

He wishes his pal had ended up on the blue side of Glasgow. Actually, he even tried to play a tiny part in making it happen. But the fact Auston Trusty signed for Celtic and not Rangers this summer doesn’t change Danny Wilson’s view.

That the American is going to excel in Scotland and thrive under the pressure of playing for an Old Firm club. Wilson was Trusty’s defensive partner at MLS outfit Colorado Rapids for three years. And the former Rangers centre-back has never been in any doubt about his ability. Trusty earned a big move to Arsenal and was linked with a move to Ibrox last year before a switch to Sheffield United.

After sampling the Premier League, he’s now at Parkhead after Brendan Rodgers splurged £6 million of his summer transfer budget to get him. On Wednesday night, Trusty made his Hoops debut off the bench in their 5-1 Champions League demolition of Slovan Bratislava. And the USA international is likely to be handed his first start in Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Falkirk.

Right now, he’s having to bide his time with Irish defender Liam Scales in possession of a shirt alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers. But Wilson is convinced that when Trusty eventually becomes a fixture in Rodgers’ line-up – he’ll stay there.

The 32-year-old told Record Sport: “I spoke to Auston last year when the Rangers interest was there. I didn’t think he’d end up at Ibrox as I always felt he’d want to test himself in the Premier League. “I touched base with him to see if there was anything in it – but he wasn’t giving too much away. I’d have preferred if he was on the other side of the city. But he’ll do well at Celtic, I’ve no doubts about that.

“Auston will handle it here. Nothing seems to faze him and he’s relaxed in everything he does. He’s also got a real belief in his ability.

Top Stories
1
Devastating Celtic have Malmo on Europa League guard for Rangers clash as Swedes pick out 2 key Ibrox dangermen

2
Rangers are family at war with bad blood everywhere and street fighter Dave King is back in the brawl – Hugh Keevins

3
Calvin Miller watched Celtic thrash Slovan from the stands but now he wants Falkirk to beat them at their OWN game

“Going to a club like Celtic won’t faze him at all. He’ll have to earn the right to be a starter there but once he does, he’ll be fine. He’s got a job on his hands with Scales in the team. But once Auston gets in, it will be very hard to shift him. He’s got the right temperament for Glasgow. That has led him to this move.

“He hasn’t rushed anything he’s ever done, he’s made smart steps at the right time in his career. He now finds himself at a Champions League club in Celtic and they’ll be strong favourites for the title and domestic cups. That’s the challenge for Auston, to go and win things.

“Last season, with all respect, nothing was expected of Sheffield United in the Champions League. But he’s in a different scenario now where everything is expected of them.

“I don’t have to give him any advice because he’s a sensible guy. He doesn’t drink and he looks after himself, in terms of his diet and stuff like that.

“He’s not someone who’s out all the time, which is important when you play for one of the big two in Glasgow. You can’t be here, there and everywhere. Auston isn’t that type and when Celtic will have done their checks on him, they’ll have found this out.

“They’ll know he has the temperament to be successful there. Anyone who has ever worked with him will have told them that.”

It takes a special type of character to deal with Old Firm pressure and be successful. But after seeing Trusty close up in the States and getting to know his personality, Wilson believes his former team-mate fits the criteria. The Scot, who was thrust into the limelight as a youngster at Ibrox before a move to Liverpool, says Trusty isn’t like most footballers.

He said: “Mentally, Auston is very switched on. He’s different from other players because he’s really intelligent. He’s into different things off the field and he’s got the right temperament for life at Celtic.

“They’ve made a good decision in buying him. Obviously there were links with Rangers last season and I was hoping that would happen. It never transpired and he was probably destined to have at least a season in the Premier League. But he’ll have wanted to test himself at Champions League level and he’ll get that opportunity now at Celtic.”

Wilson first met Trusty when he arrived in Colorado from Philadelphia Union as a 21-year-old centre-half. Despite a Covid-hit season in 2020, the pair soon connected, on and off the pitch. And Wilson, who is currently a free agent after leaving Queen’s Park this summer, always felt Trusty would reach the top. He said: “You could tell early on how good a player Auston was going to be.

“He came to us at a young age but had already played games for Philadelphia. We traded for him and, right away, you could see had all the attributes. He’s very good in all aspects of the game and is a great professional.

“He was 6ft 4, left-sided and quick. He just needed a wee bit of guidance. Initially, we were playing a back four and as we were both left-siders, it was either me or him playing. We were in competition with each other. But in the second year, we started together with me on the right before we eventually went into a back three.

“Pretty quickly, with the more games he played, it became clear we weren’t going to be able to hold on to Auston for much longer. And that’s how it panned out as he signed for Arsenal. He’s now got a big move to Celtic and he’ll do very well there.”

CELTIC v FALKIRK: 5-MINUTE QUIZ

CELTIC go into their second Premier Sports League Cup-tie of the season when they take on Falkirk in the quarter-final at Parkhead this afternoon.

Brendan Rodgers’ side overcame Hibs 3-1 in the previous round with a double from Daizen Maeda and another from Nicolas Kuhn.

How much can you remember about past associations with Falkirk? Have a go on CQN‘s fun five-minute quiz to test your knowledge.

Good luck!

QUESTIONS:

1: A Republic of Ireland legend scored his only Celtic goal against Falkirk in 2006. Can you name him?

2: Kasper Schmeichel saved a penalty-kick in his only game against Celtic on loan at Falkirk in 2007. Who was the spot-kick culprit?

3: Tommy Burns paid £380,000 for a centre-half from Falkirk in 1995. Can you remember his name?

4: True or false: Burns’ last game as Celtic manager was against Falkirk?

5: Celtic drew 1-1 with the Championship club in the Scottish Cup semi-final in April 1997. Who scored the Hoops’ goal that day?

The answers will be provided when the Hoops line-up is confirmed before kick-off.

Now that Celtic’s impressive midweek Champions League win is firmly in the bank, attention is now fully focused on this afternoon’s League Cup tie with Falkirk.

John McGlynn’s side travel to Celtic Park for the quarter-final cup clash hoping that they can take their impressive Championship league form and give Brendan Rodgers’ team a tough afternoon.

Falkirk currently has a 100% win rate in the second tier and sits second to Scott Brown’s Ayr United who have played one game more.

With 11 goals scored, Falkirk’s impressive start to the season since their promotion has them buzzing and defender, Coll Donaldson, looking forward to the League Cup visit to Celtic Park.

Strength of Celtic on Falkirk’s minds

Falkirk have been receiving plaudits for their results since coming up from League One as invincible champions but Donaldson believes that the strength of Celtic’s bench is something his team will need to be wary of.

Donaldson told The Falkirk Herald, “That’s what we spoke about [about sticking to Falkirk’s style of football].

“We’ve not done it yet. It’s easy to sit here and say we’re going there and we’ll pass the ball about.

“We need big characters, big personalities. You want people to be able to take the ball and look after the ball.

“So, yes, it’s more exciting. I’ve been in teams that you go there and it’s like you sit on the edge of your box and it might be nil-nil after 60 minutes, but you’re absolutely knackered and it feels like it’s just a matter of time.

“They bring on subs, fresh legs, and they’re not bringing on Tom, Dick and Harry. It’s internationalists that are coming off the bench.

“We’re really looking forward to it. I think our league position has allowed us to enjoy it even more than what you would.”

Donaldson confident of making it ‘awkward’ for Celtic

The Falkirk defender is clearly aware of the task facing his team but Donaldson believes that if they can stick to what they believe in then Falkirk can make life tough for Celtic this afternoon.

Donaldson continued, “Because if you’re struggling in the league and then even though you’re playing Celtic, you get beat again and it’s just defeats on top of defeats.

“But I have full confidence in the boys in there, even the boys that haven’t played there, I think we’ve shown on many occasions that we’ve got good, good characters in there.

“And we’re not going to be defined by how a League Cup game goes at Celtic.

“So as long as we can stick to our principles and stick together, I think we can try and make it an awkward afternoon.”

Donaldson has faced Celtic on a number of occasions whilst he was at Ross County a few seasons ago so knows what it’s like to play against the Scottish champions.

Indeed, Celtic have a number of players in their ranks who can give the Championship side a difficult day. But it needs to be said, so do Falkirk.

Dylan Tate is the man on form as the Falkirk midfielder has been one of their most dangerous players this season with two goals and two assists.

Celtic will also need to be wary of one of their former academy graduates, Calvin Miller, who is averaging 3.3 shots on goal with 1.5 of them hitting the target every 90 minutes. [Fotmob]

And, of course, their goalkeeper Nciky Hogarth is also enjoying some great form with only four goals conceded, two clean sheets and saves 76.5% of shots with an average of 2.6 efforts saved per game.

Although they will be confident of securing a result, Celtic will still need to be wary of the threats Falkirk have tp secure their place in the semi-final of the competition.

Watch: Tomoki Iwata Scores Another Birmingham City Stunner

Former Celtic man Tomoki Iwata has scored another stunner for Birmingham City this afternoon.

Soccer Football – Scottish Premiership – Celtic v Kilmarnock – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – August 4, 2024 Celtic’s Tomoki Iwata during the warm up before the match Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith

It comes after the Japanese midfielder opened his account for the club on Monday evening in a 3-1 win over Wrexham.

Iwata found the back of the net from range with a thorough strike and once again did so today.

His side are away to Rotherham United this afternoon, and the 27-year-old opened the scoring 14 minutes in with a fine finish which found the bottom corner:

ROTHERHAM 0 – BLUES 1 #BCFC #KRO#ROTBIR pic.twitter.com/E0FuIfnsoY

— CMF (@Ohffs1984) September 21, 2024

In English League One, Iwata is strolling it already, as many Celtic fans expected he would.

Many eyebrows were raised when the treble-winner departed the Hoops on transfer deadline day, but he wanted regular minutes.

Iwata wasn’t guaranteed games at Celtic this campaign, but in his year and a half with the Scottish Premiership champions, he was always a dependable squad player.

The former Yokohama F. Marinos man offered a more defensive option in the middle of the park, which few other midfielders could.

He got his move down south and is pleasingly flourishing. Birmingham will be aiming to go straight back up to the English Championship this term, and it looks as though Iwata’s form could be key to them doing so.

Many anticipated he would stroll it at St. Andrew’s, and so far, that has been exactly the case.

Off the high of a midweek European onslaught, Celtic return to domestic action to face John McGlynn’s Falkirk. Just one match stands in their way as they bid for a return to Hampden. Although the Bairns will be no easy task, they areunbeaten in their last forty-three matches after all. Here on Last Word on Football, we provide our Celtic Predicted lineup for Sunday afternoon.

Celtic Predicted Lineup vs Falkirk

How Celtic have lined up recently

There has been little rotation in the East End of Glasgow, however with the schedule now heating up that is likely to change. The back five has remained unchanged with Kasper Schmeichel in between the sticks and Alistair Johnson, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales and Greg Taylor sitting in front. This combination has conceded just two goals in six matches all season, and none in league action.

In the midfield, Reo Hatate and Callum McGregor have been main-stays with Paulo Bernardo and Arne Engels enjoying game time since Matt O’Riley exited. Although it is the Belgian international who has started the previous two games, scoring as many goals from the spot.

Read More: Etihad Stadium ‘Absolutely Dead’ but Celtic Park Is Alive and Kicking

Nicolas Kuhn, Kyogo and Daizen Maeda have been the favoured front three, with brilliant chemistry struck between the lightning-quick trio.

Although, we could see as many as ten changes this weekend. As risky as it sounds, there is major depth at Celtic, they can afford to do so.

Celtic Recent Form and Tactics

The Champions are in as good a place as ever. Five points in front of their rivals; four out of four clean sheets in the league, the standard has been impeccable.

Yet, domestic domination has become the norm in the past thirteen seasons. Progress in Europe is the next step. On Wednesday night, they dispatched Slovakian Champions Slovan Bratislava by five goals to one. With Scales, Kyogo, Engels, Maeda and Idah all on the scoresheet plus Engels, Kuhn, Hatate and Forrest all grabbing assists, the attacking depth was on display.

It was the first time Celtic won their opening game at the group/league stage of the Champions League, and with nine points likely enough, they have an excellent opportunity to progress. Against the likes of Club Brugge and Young Boys at home, you have to fancy them.

Tactically, the in-possession game hasn’t changed a whole lot. Typically, Brendan Rodgers’ men have played a 4-3-3, although we saw a variation in the Rangers home game with Bernardo playing deeper to form a 4-2-3-1 at times.

Out of possession, the hoops have usually pressed with a front three, although at times been in a 4-4-2 shape with Hatate joining Kyogo.

Injuries to Consider

Johnson was absent from training, with Brendan Rodgers confirming he was one of a few who had picked up niggles in the game midweek.

Celtic Predicted Lineup

There will be a range of changes, just McGregor will keep his place. This fixture will have been earmarked to give starts to the likes of Auston Trusty, Luke McCowan and Alex Valle. Meanwhile, a rest is afforded to the likes of Hatate, Johnson and Carter-Vickers.

Viljami Sinisalo

Anthony Ralston

Stephen Welsh

Auston Trusty

Alex Valle

Callum McGregor

Paulo Bernardo

Luke McCowan

James Forrest

Adam Idah

Luis Palma

Predicted Celtic XI vs Falkirk as Brendan Rodgers could make EIGHT changes

The Hoops boss is known for tweaking his team slightly but he could realistically make a whole host of replacements

Alex Valle could start for Celtic

Brendan Rodgers knew what he was doing when he brought in a handful of summer signings.

The Celtic boss was always planning to be as competitive in the Champions League as possible and after midweek results like their 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday evening, the need for a deep squad was obvious. It’s Falkirk in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final tomorrow afternoon from Parkhead and the manager will likely make a number of changes from his Euro heroes.

The Bairns pose a different challenge to the Hoops but they’re in good form in the Championship with five wins from five under John McGlynn.

It’s unlikely Rodgers will change his entire XI given the opposition and the respect he’ll have to have for the Bairns. But Football Scotland reckons he’ll make a few…

Viljami Sinisalo

Is yet to pull on the jersey in a competitive fixture but in front of his home support in a cup game might be the best time. It’s usually when Scott Bain would get his chances last season.

Anthony Ralston

Alistair Johnston is a doubt with a niggle and Ralston is tried and trusted by the manager.

Auston Trusty

Might be a left-sided centre-half by trade but Rodgers might opt to rest Cameron Carter-Vickers and see how his countryman copes as his cover.

Liam Scales

Would be the experienced partner should CCV sit this one out and he’s riding the crest of a wave after his UCL goal.

Alex Valle

The Barcelona loanee could be given a run out after joining in the summer. Yet to make an appearance but this could be the moment, much like Sinisalo.

Manchester City ready to ramp up interest in Kyogo Furuhashi

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are interested in acquiring the services of Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi.

Manchester City are on the lookout for a new striker who can provide cover to Erling Haaland and Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi seems to be on the wishlist of the Premier League giants. According to a report from Fichajes, Pep Guardiola’s team are scouting the Japanese striker ahead of a potential transfer.

Furuhashi made a name for himself while playing for Vissel Kobe before making the move to the Scottish club in the summer of 2021. The 29-year-old has only gone from strength to strength since moving to Europe and his consistent performances in the final third have attracted a lot of attention.

The Japanese international has 75 goals and 16 assists in his 139 outings for Celtic. 24 of those goal contributions came last season and his performances seem to have put him on the radar of Manchester City.

Guardiola’s team parted ways with Julian Alvarez during the summer as the Argentine international joined Atletico Madrid in a big-money move. While they were keen on bringing in a like-for-like replacement, City could find one time.

Erling Haaland is the only out-and-out striker in their squad. As a result, the Spanish manager is desperate to bring in a backup option someone who can provide cover and allow their star striker to get some rest in what is going to be a very lengthy season.

City step up interest in Kyogo Furuhashi

They are interested in the services of Kyogo Furuhashi who was on their wishlist in the summer of 2023 as well. They did consider signing him back then but the move fell through. However, City seem to have reignited their interest in the Japanese ace.

They have stepped up their interest and asked their scouts to watch him in action in their recent UEFA Champions League game against Slovan Bratislava. The 29-year-old marked the occasion with a goal and City scouts who were in the stands would have surely taken note of his performance.

The Manchester-based club are keen on signing a new striker and Furuhashi’s name could be discussed in the City office when the window reopens. While he still has around three years left on his deal, Guardiola’s team have the financial strength to prise him away.

James Forrest wants Celtic stay NEXT season as Hoops legend labels current squad one of the best ever

The veteran Celtic winger wants to extend his time at the club and add to the 24 trophies he’s won in 15 years at Parkhead.

James Forrest says Celtic’s squad is one of the best he’s EVER been part of – and revealed he’s ready to sign up for another year under Brendan Rodgers.

The 33-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season but already has his eye on a new deal at Parkhead. Forrest is still a key player at Celtic and came off the bench in their thumping 5-1 Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday night. Forrest, who has won an incredible 24 trophies over 15 years at Celtic, will feature in their Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Falkirk today.

He reckons he hasn’t played in many better teams than the one Rodgers has now assembled. And the veteran winger is desperate to be a part of it for as long as possible. Asked if this is one of the strongest squads in his time at the club, Forrest said: “Aye, I think the manager has recruited well.

“He’s always talked about quality over quantity and he’s definitely got that now. You can see the players he’s signed have already made an impact. That’s great for the players who were already here. It’s good when players come in and really freshen it up. That’s what’s happened so far.

“For myself, the end of last season was really good, I really enjoyed my football. And I’ve enjoyed the start of this one as well. Obviously I’m getting older but I feel I’ve still got a part to play and I love it here. Being at Celtic, such a massive club – I’ve been here my whole career. I’d love to stay on and that will maybe come into the discussion at some point.”

James Forrest wants to stay beyond the summer

Forrest will be 34 at the start of next term but says he isn’t ready to hang up his boots yet. He might not be a regular starter for Rodgers but – as he proved in Europe in midweek – the Scotland wide man can still contribute as Celtic go for more silverware.

Forrest said: “I’ve started this season feeling good and I haven’t even thought about stopping, to be honest. I’m really enjoying playing just now.

“I’m looking forward to being involved in big games like the Champions League the other night. The squad has a really positive feel about it just now so I want to keep working hard and play in as many games as I can.”

Forrest hopes to earn new Celtic contract as winger ‘still loving it

‘

James Forrest has worked hard to get himself back into Brendan Rodgers’ plans (Image: SNS)

James Forrest played a pivotal role in Celtic securing a domestic double at the end of last season, now he’s determined to carry on that form with the hope of earning a contract extension.

Forrest has been on Celtic’s books for his entire professional career, making his first team debut as a fresh-faced teenager well over a decade ago.

His latest deal is set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. Manager Brendan Rodgers recently discussed Greg Taylor’s future with the Hoops full-back in a similar position. But for Forrest, whether or not he will be allowed the opportunity to wear a Celtic shirt for a 17th season remains to be seen.

“Aye,” the veteran winger simply said on his willingness to enter negotiations. “The end of last season was really good. It was a few months when I really enjoyed my football. I’ve been really enjoying the start of this season as well. Obviously I’m getting older but I really enjoy it.

“I feel as if I’ve still got a part to play and I still love it. Being at Celtic is such a massive club, I’ve been here my whole career. I’d love to stay on but that will maybe come into discussion at some point. I’m not sure when.”

At 33, some players might have retirement on they mind. However, Forrest is relishing being back playing a key role at Celtic, having accumulated seven appearances so far this season.

Asked if he still has the enthusiasm to play at the highest level, he replied: “Definitely. I got a good run at the end of last season, and I’ve started this season feeling good as well. I’ve not even thought about stopping to be honest. I’m just really enjoying playing just now.

Image: SNS Group)“As I said, you’re talking about next season but I’m honestly not really thinking about that. I’m just looking forward to being involved in the Champions League game the other night. The squad’s got a real good positive feeling towards it now. So I just want to keep working hard and being involved in as many games as I can.

“Maybe January or February at the start of the year I had a little think about it (retiring). But honestly, I’ve not really thought much about it since. I’ve been in football my full life and it’s always what I wanted to do.

“I think I’d definitely like to be involved in the game in some way. Maybe at some stage this season or next season, I don’t know when, I’ll think about it more. I would definitely like to stay in football. You get some players that you’ve played with that maybe don’t watch a lot of games.

“Sometimes it can be a job for them, but I love watching football and I love being in football. So I’d definitely like to still be involved somehow.”

It’s arguably the most competitive Celtic squad Forrest has experienced in his well-decorated career, yet he relishes his teammates driving each other to the incredibly high standards that their manager demands day in day out.

“I think the manager and the club’s recruited well,” he said. “The manager is always talking about you wanting quality over quantity. He’s definitely got that. You’ve seen in the players he’s signed already making their impact.

“I think that’s good for the players that are here and working hard here. I think it’s always good to get players to come in and freshen it up. That’s what’s happened so far. I think it’s just important that we all just keep working hard and keep looking forward.”

Forrest earned a long-overdue Scotland call up prior to Euro 2024 this summer, but was an unused substitutes in all three Group A matches at the tournament.

Steve Clarke named him in his squad for the UEFA Nations League games against Poland and Portugal earlier this month but the Celtic player withdrew alongside club teammate Taylor.

Despite that, he claims adding to his 39 caps is still very much on his agenda.

(Image: SNS Group)“I think the first and foremost and the most important thing is Celtic,” he explained. “I’ve always said that as well throughout my career. If you’re playing well for Celtic and you’re getting minutes there, then you can be involved in the national team.

“I think just concentrating on Celtic for the next few weeks and trying to do well there. If Scotland is still there, then I’d like to add to the caps as well.”

Forrest has become accustomed to European nights at Parkhead but Wednesday night’s 5-1 Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava was absolutely massive for the club.

That three points on match day one has provided Celtic with an excellent start in their quest to reach the knock out stage of the competition, sitting nicely in second place from the 36-team league phase table.

“It was unbelievable,” he commented on the result. “I think we’ve had a really good start to the season. You can see all the boys are feeling confident. There have been some really good results and performances.

“The manager, a couple of days before the game when everyone knew the occasion was massive, he just wanted us to keep playing the way we had been in the league and the cup competitions we’d played in so far. I think you saw that on the night, that we took our performances into that. It was a great night.

“I think it’s amazing (the fans backing). I think every year you’re in the Champions League or Europa League, you’re playing in these European games, I think there are always really good atmospheres. I think the other night before the game it was electric.

“I think it was like that the full game. I remember at points in the second half, the atmosphere was bouncing. You saw everyone after the game. I think there was a real buzz at the stadium.

“I think that’s good that we’re up and running in the Champions League. We can focus now on the cup in Scotland and the league and we’ll get back to Dortmund in a couple of games’ time.”

Ex-Celtic ace Calvin Miller buzzing for Bairns blockbuster Premier Sports Cup quarter-final tie

Falkirk winger Calvin Miller is returning a return to Celtic Park on Sunday (Photo: Michael Gillen)

Ahead of returning to Celtic Park this afternoon, Falkirk ace Calvin Miller has been recalling his time under Brendan Rodgers – and the “similarities” between the Hoops’ head coach and current gaffer John McGlynn.

Winger Miller, 26, made a handful of appearances for Celtic under Rodgers as a young player coming through the ranks, and he has been a key player for the Bairns since joining the club last summer before the League One title-winning campaign.

“It is really exciting,” he said. “I went there a couple of seasons ago with Morton. It is the same feeling now, I know a lot of boys. It is a bit of both, you want to go back and prove a point but you also just want to really enjoy it.

“It feels like I was there yesterday. Football flies in. You have to embrace every moment of your career and Sunday is one I’ll take in every moment of for sure.

Falkirk ace Calvin Miller training ahead of the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final tie (Photo: Michael Gillen)

“I know Anthony Ralston well. He might play. I was good pals with Mikey Johnston but he has just left. It will be nice to see the boys, the likes of Callum McGregor and James Forrest who have kicked on.

“It is most of the same staff too. It will be nice to have a chat with Brendan (Rodgers). He was the manager when I was coming through at Celtic. When I was coming through, it was a different situation for me.

“He had me playing in a defensive role technically as a left-back but with the way Celtic played it was basically me using my attacking football anyway. His teams always have like 80 per cent possession.

“It has come in handy as I have actually filled in at left-back for Falkirk a couple of times. I have learned so much since being there. Positionally and mentally.

“I see a lot of similarities (between Rodgers and McGlynn). The way we try to play is exactly how Celtic try to play. Fast, attacking football and high pressing. We base ourselves on what they do.”

And despite the odds being stacked against Falkirk, Miller says his team-mates aren’t heading to Glasgow to sit back and defend against the Scottish Premiership champions.

He added: “Celtic are something else. I was at the Champions League game the other night. They are in the best place possible but so are we. The gaffer (John McGlynn) won’t let us go there and sit back – we’ll give it our best shot.

“We are hoping that there might be chances to the team. They have rotation but who they bring in will still be right up with who normally starts. But you do hope for chances, an off-day, a big mistake.

“We will play our high press on Sunday. I have no doubt in that. Teams come to Celtic and play a low block and it doesn’t work anyway.

“We know we will be put under pressure at points. But we won’t just sit back and take it. We will try to play and be brave.”

Gary Lineker in ‘banging’ Celtic endorsement as Rangers star continues bromance with ace no longer at club

Gary Lineker has sang the praises of Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers after a resounding 5-1 victory against Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League. | Getty Images for Premier League

Celtic won a number of plaudits after an impressive 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava in Europe

Match of the Day host and England football legend Gary Lineker has claimed that Celtic have all the tools to advance to the knockout stage of this season’s Champions League.

The Scottish champions kicked off the competition with an emphatic 5-1 victory at home to Slovan Bratislava and were able to completely overpower the Slovakian side throughout the game as Liam Scales, Kyogo Furuhashi, Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda and Adam Idah all got on the scoresheet.

The result leaves Celtic in second position at the end of matchday one and crucially inside the top eight places – leaving the Hoops on course for knockout football.

Lineker was left hugely impressed with the manner of Celtic’s victory and believes Brendan Rodgers could finally be the man to lead them to the next stage of the tournament.

The ex-Leicester City and Barcelona forward signalled them out for praise on the Rest is Football podcast, he said: “Talking of exciting football and brilliant stuff, what about Celtic banging in five? Now you would say they’re going to play against teams they can beat and I would say probably one of the favourites to reach the play-offs this year.

“I’ll remind everyone again because the teams between 8th and 24th will play in the play-off games to join the top eight in the Champions League last 16. So it will be interesting to see.

“I think with this format, let’s wait and see and see how it pans out. The only downside to that is that there’s even more football for the players. But a brilliant win for Celtic and a fantastic start for them.”

Fellow pundit Micah Richards shared Lineker’s view and was also quick to praise Rodgers’ impact at Parkhead.

The ex-Manchester City star said: “You know what, everyone talks about this new Champions League format and no disrespect to Celtic, in previous years and recent history, they might have had an opportunity to win a game maybe in one of the later rounds [of the group stage].”

“It might not have been one of the greatest games, it was sort of like for pride. Can we finish third and get into the Europa League?”

Nico Raskin congratulates former teammate Abdallah Sima

Rangers midfielder Nico Raskin was one of the first to send former team mate Abdallah Sima a message of congratulations after he scored for Brest in their Champions League opener.

The Senegalese forward, who spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Ibrox, got on the scoresheet with a second-half strike as the French side ran out 2-1 winners over Sturm Graz on Thursday, leaving them 13th in the table at the end of matchday one.

Raskin, who begins his Europa League campaign with a trip to Malmo on Thursday, commented on Sima’s Instagram: “Simaaaaaaaaa” followed by a red heart emoji.”

Sima signed for Rangers on loan from Brighton last term and was a huge fan favourite after registering 16 goals and two assists in 39 appearances for the Light Blues.

Watch: Tomoki Iwata Scores Another Birmingham City Stunner

Former Celtic man Tomoki Iwata has scored another stunner for Birmingham City this afternoon.

Soccer Football – Scottish Premiership – Celtic v Kilmarnock – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – August 4, 2024 Celtic’s Tomoki Iwata during the warm up before the match Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith

It comes after the Japanese midfielder opened his account for the club on Monday evening in a 3-1 win over Wrexham.

Iwata found the back of the net from range with a thorough strike and once again did so today.

His side are away to Rotherham United this afternoon, and the 27-year-old opened the scoring 14 minutes in with a fine finish which found the bottom corner:

ROTHERHAM 0 – BLUES 1 #BCFC #KRO#ROTBIR pic.twitter.com/E0FuIfnsoY

— CMF (@Ohffs1984) September 21, 2024

In English League One, Iwata is strolling it already, as many Celtic fans expected he would.

Many eyebrows were raised when the treble-winner departed the Hoops on transfer deadline day, but he wanted regular minutes.

Iwata wasn’t guaranteed games at Celtic this campaign, but in his year and a half with the Scottish Premiership champions, he was always a dependable squad player.

The former Yokohama F. Marinos man offered a more defensive option in the middle of the park, which few other midfielders could.

He got his move down south and is pleasingly flourishing. Birmingham will be aiming to go straight back up to the English Championship this term, and it looks as though Iwata’s form could be key to them doing so.

Many anticipated he would stroll it at St. Andrew’s, and so far, that has been exactly the case.

Devastating Celtic have Malmo on Europa League guard for Rangers clash as Swedes pick out 2 key Ibrox dangermen

Brazilian defender Gabriel Busanello expects a tough game against Philippe Clement’s side in their Europa League opener

Malmo’s Gabriel Busanello

Malmo ace Gabriel Busanello won’t underestimate Rangers – after being blown away by CELTIC in the Champions League.

The Brazilian defender expects a tough game against Philippe Clement’s side in their Europa League opener on Thursday night. Especially after he watched their Old Firm rivals batter Slovan Bratislava 5-1 in midweek. But Busanello says the Swedes aren’t scared of Rangers as they look to pick up three points on home soil and get their Euro campaign off to a flyer.

The Malmo left-back said: “We’re playing in our home stadium so our objective is always to win. Or at the very least in this competition, you have to avoid defeat. Rangers are a huge club with so much history and some excellent players. They will be a difficult opponent for us but we don’t fear them. It’s a level game but we want to own the match from the start.

“Of course, Scottish football has improved in the last few years. You never get an easy game against a Scottish team. A clear example of that was the Champions League match this week involving Celtic. That showed us that we’ll have a hard game against Rangers and we’ll need to fight for the three points. Our challenge is to win and then follow our dream, which is to reach the next phase of the Europa League.

“The new format in the competitions means you must have success at home. Getting three points on Thursday will be crucial to where we finish in the table. Any error at home will be very damaging to our chances so we can’t fail against Rangers.”

Busanello picked out Ibrox pair Jack Butland and Oscar Cortes as key players for Clement’s side before Gers’ trip to Scandinavia. The 25-year-old expects a tight game but believes Henrik Rydstrom’s men can nick it at the Eleda Stadion.

He said: “We have watched Rangers play and I know Butland is an excellent keeper. The Colombian, Cortes, is also a very dangerous player. Rangers are a solid team and we’ll have to battle very hard.

“But we are strong defensively and good in midfield. I don’t see many goals in this game so the key for us will be not conceding and then hopefully profiting with chances.”

Clive Tyldesley said something about Celtic live on Rangers TV and fans ‘warned’ him never to say it again

He was the in-house commentator for the Steven Gerrard unbeaten title winning season

Clive Tyldesley on Rangers TV duty

Clive Tyldesley has opened up on the Celtic lesson he learned from his Rangers TV stint – after a fan made one thing clear over the Parkhead side.

He was the man who took on in-house commentating of the Light Blues during the 2020/21 campaign. With the coronavirus pandemic at a high, fans had to tune in via club channels to watch games with no fans permitted in stadiums. That campaign turned out to be a historic one for the club after they went the Scottish Premiership campaign unbeaten under Steven Gerrard and ended Celtic’s hopes of claiming ten-in-a-row in the process.

Tyldesley admits it was a wonderful 18-month adventure he had while working for the Ibrox side – but he did get corrected over a key lesson when working for one of the big two in Glasgow. He spoke about providing an update over the Celtic score from a game and happened to refer to them as the ‘The Hoops’. It prompted a reaction from one supporter with the commentator remembering the exact wording of his warning.

He told Four Four Two: “Rangers really wanted me – they’d done a deal to provide free coverage of all of their home games for their season ticket holders until they could go back into the stadium. I was fortunate that Rangers won every game I commentated on, I think! They went through the season unbeaten and my voice became associated with a very famous Rangers season.

“It became a wonderful 18-month adventure… although I learned that I didn’t know Glasgow football quite as well as I thought. In a commentary I try to find a different way of saying the same thing, and I was talking about a Celtic match that was happening at the same time as Rangers were playing.

“I had given the score as Celtic this, Celtic that, and I happened to say, ‘The Hoops have now gone three up’. I got so much mail from Rangers fans, all quite sympathetic, but there was an element of warning… One guy said, ‘They are either Celtic, or they are ‘them’.’ So from that point on, Celtic were Celtic – don’t call them something that sounds affectionate!”

Why Luke McCowan Can’t Feature For Celtic Tomorrow

After making history in the UEFA Champions League midweek, Celtic return to domestic action tomorrow as they welcome Falkirk to Parkhead in the Scottish league cup.

Soccer Football – Champions League – Celtic v Slovan Bratislava – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – September 18, 2024 Celtic’s Liam Scales shakes hands with Slovan Bratislava’s Marko Tolic after the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

The Bairns come to Glasgow’s east end in formidable form, but the Bhoys are equally in fine fettle, having won every competitive game they’ve played this term.

Tomorrow, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is expected to make a fair few changes to his starting 11 which put Slovan Bratislava to the sword on Wednesday night.

The likes of Anthony Ralston, Alex Valle, Auston Trusty, and Paulo Bernardo could all come into the team for the quarter-final clash, but Luke McCowan is ineligible to play.

The midfielder scored his first goal for the Scottish Premiership champions last Saturday against Hearts but won’t feature in tomorrow’s league cup match.

Indeed, because he turned out for his old club, Dundee, against Airdrie in the previous round of the competition, the 26-year-old is cup-tied and thus unable to play for the Celts on Sunday.

Fans would have been excited to see McCowan make his first start for the Hoops, but they will have to wait.

The game against Falkirk would have been the ideal opportunity to throw the midfielder into the starting lineup, but it is not to be.

Celtic fans will be treated to a TV double-header on Sunday after Premier Sports announced a full afternoon of Hoops action.

Brendan Rodgers’ side face Falkirk in a Scottish League Cup clash that kicks off at 3pm, broadcast live by the tournament sponsors.

It’s a chance to book their place in a Hampden semi-final and continue their quest to reclaim the trophy after last season’s disappointment against Kilmarnock.

Following Wednesday night’s dream Champions League start there’s a beautiful feeling around the club and fans – heading to the stadium or watching on from home – can’t wait to see the team back on the pitch.

The European fun continues this weekend, too, and Celtic FC Women break new ground by taking part in their first ever Women’s Champions League second-round match.

Celtic FC Women get live TV slot for Champions League match

Before that League Cup kick-off at Celtic Park, the women’s side take on Ukrainian champions Vorskla Poltava in the first leg of their knockout tie and Premier Sports have bought the rights to broadcast.

The fixture kicks off at 12pm and will be live directly before the men’s game on Premier Sports 1.

We’re excited to bring you live coverage of Celtic’s UEFA Women’s Champions League 2nd Round Qualifier this Sunday! 🍀🙌

Tune in from 12pm, with the Premier Sports Cup Quarter Final between Celtic and Falkirk following on Premier Sports 1 from 2.30pm 📺 pic.twitter.com/NdUIytLkty

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) September 19, 2024

Vorskla don’t have massive amounts of European experience, like Celtic, and the draw could have been far worse for the Ghirls. Benfica, Roma and Slavia Prague were among the potential opponents.

They have a really great opportunity to make it into the group stage of the tournament and take part in some big matches against the continent’s elite.

With both legs also taking place in Scotland, Elena Sadiku and her team are relishing the chance to make more history.

Kelly Clark inspired by Brendan Rodgers’ side

Speaking ahead of the match, captain Kelly Clark said: “I always speak about my time at the club and watching the guys do things and how much it makes you want to do it.

“I’ve watched them play in the Champions League, and I’ve listened to that roar when the Champions League anthem comes on. You crave doing it yourself.

“I know every fan craves doing it but the reality is I’m actually in a position that I can do it. It means everything. It’s a competition that is a genuine reminder that you are the Champions of your league.

“It’s nice to play in anyway because we did something well last season. To mix with the best teams in Europe is huge. I will need to talk myself out of the emotions before Sunday so it doesn’t affect my performance and I can be the calming influence I need to be on the girls.”

Luke McCowan is proving himself to be a shrewd acquisition for Celtic, with the new midfielder earning high praise from team insiders for his immediate impact in training.

28th April 2024; Dens Park, Dundee, Scotland; Scottish Premiership Football, Dundee versus Celtic; Luke McCowan of Dundee tackles Kyogo Furuhashi of Celtic

He already has a goal under his belt, and impressed fans with his few appearances so far. He’ll likely get a chance from the start against Falkirk on Sunday.

Despite the spotlight on Arne Engels as the marquee midfield signing this season, McCowan, who arrived from Dundee on deadline day for £1 million, has quickly shown his mettle.

Tony Watt, a former Celtic striker, shared insights on The Warm Up podcast about McCowan’s integration into the team.

According to Watt, feedback from both Dundee colleagues and current Celtic players is overwhelmingly positive, noting that McCowan does not seem out of place at all at Lennoxtown.

He said:  “I’ve heard a lot of good things. A lot of boys from Dundee are saying he’ll go there and do well. And whoever I’ve spoken to that’s trained with him since signing says he doesn’t look out of place.”

A player like McCowan is essential to have in. As cliche as the saying is, he gets it. Having someone with his experience in the league, and knows what is required to play for Celtic is great to have for some of the younger and more inexperienced players who will walk through the door.

He’s not going to start week in and week out, but he’s already shown from off the bench and shown that he can make an impact.

Celtic’s thrashing of Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday night delighted supporters and made waves around Europe.

The Bhoys are sitting second in the 36-team Champions League table after matchday one, behind Bayern Munich on goal difference after their 9-2 result against Dinamo Zagreb.

Added to a perfect start to the domestic season – winning six from six – Celtic are one of the hottest teams on the continent right now.

And that’s being reflected by stats company Opta, who now have Brendan Rodgers’ outfit as one of the 60 best in the entire world.

Where Celtic compare to the best teams in the world

The Opta algorithm analyses results from over 2,500,000 matches since 1990 to assign a rating from 1 to 100 for each team that is comparable across leagues, countries, and continents.

Celtic have moved up five places in a week to 56th in the table with a rating of 85.4, ahead of English Premier League sides such as Fulham, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest.

From Scotland, Rangers are the next closest team but sit way down in 120th.

Demonstrating the progress that Celtic have made in the last 12 months, this time last year Rodgers’ side were languishing in 95th, 39 places below their current ranking.

The manager has Celtic trending in the right direction and there’s a feeling that the team can improve even further over the coming months.

The strength of Celtic’s Champions League opponents

Celtic have seven remaining opponents in this phase of the Champions League phase and this is where they rank in Opta’s table, with their ratings in brackets.

Borussia Dortmund – 10th (93.3)

RB Leipzig – 13th (92.7)

Atalanta – 14th (91.9)

Aston Villa – 33rd (88.4)

Club Brugge – 51st (86.0)

Dinamo Zagreb – 75th (84.4)

Young Boys – 165th (80.3)

The upcoming gauntlet of Dortmund, Atalanta and Leipzig are the toughest tests for Rodgers’ side but, after winning on matchday one, Celtic will still be in the hunt for progression even if all three are lost.

It’s interesting to note that Young Boys sit so low. They visit Celtic Park on 22nd January and the Bhoys will be looking at that as a key opportunity to pick up a win.

Club Brugge at home will be a competitive, but winnable fixture, while there should be no fear travelling away to Dinamo Zagreb.

Celtic will have a 69% chance of reaching the top 24 knockouts if nine points are attained but that jumps to a 99% probability with ten points.

Every point is so crucial so anything that can be nicked on the road or at home to Leipzig could have a massive say in how the tournament pants out for the Bhoys

Luke McCowan impact impresses Celtic insiders, Brendan Rodgers heard giving ‘secrets’ away – Parkhead news bulletin

McCowan has taken to life at Lennoxtown like a duck to water

Luke McCowan hasn’t looked ‘out of place’ at Celtic training – with insiders impressed with what they’ve seen from the new midfielder so far.

That’s according to Motherwell striker Tony Watt who says he’s spoken to people who have trained with him since the move and they’ve had nothing but good things to say. Arne Engels was undoubtedly the Hoops’ marquee midfield signing but Dundee’s player of the season McCowan was picked up on deadline day in a £1m move.

A boyhood Celtic fan, he’s got off the bench in their two Premiership games since and even found the back of the net against Hearts. He could be rewarded with a start in the Premier Sports Cup against Falkirk this weekend and, according to former Celtic hitman Watt – who is still pals with some of the stars at Parkhead stretching back to his three years there – his teammates are impressed.

Speaking on the SPFL’s The Warm Up podcast, he said: “I’ve heard a lot of good things. A lot of boys from Dundee are saying he’ll go there and do well. And whoever I’ve spoken to that’s trained with him since signing says he doesn’t look out of place.”

He was joined on the podcast by former Hoops defender John Hughes, who reckons Brendan Rodgers gave some state secrets away at a recent press conference. The ex Falkirk, Hibs and Inverness boss watched their win over Hearts for the BBC. And he said: “I listened to his interview and he gave a few secrets away. I was thinking ‘keep them to yourself.’ It was about the work they did in pre-season, no excuses when you lose the ball in the final third. Get back within five seconds. You can see that, high energy, constantly.

John Hughes and Tony Watt on ‘The Warm Up’ podcast

“Remember last season when the balls were going out, they were coming straight back in. Free-kicks, get it down, play. They’re constantly on the front foot. Against Hearts, they needed the second goal, but they didn’t get it until Hearts went 4-4-2 and he put the flair players on.

“I was watching it thinking ‘Celtic are going to score here’ and they did. Even on the turnover, two or three passeso, and there’s a chance.”

The secret to their hard work, Watt thinks, is the depth Rodgers has available – which means he can work players to the bone without having to be too concerned about injuries. He added: “I think managers get scared to work the players too hard, because when you work them hard, you get injuries. You need to accept that, but a lot of managers, especially at the lower clubs, don’t have the budget to get players in to have replacements for the boys who get injured. But Celtic do it well, they’ve gone and signed McCowan, spent money on Idah to come in for Kyogo.

“They’ve got two top, top players in every position. So he can work them to their max, and if he gets a couple of muscle injuries, he can just get on with it and pick them up again.”

That depth is expected to be utilised for the visit of the Bairns this weekend. Chris Sutton wrote in his Record Sport column on Saturday that he expects to see changes from the side who downed Slovan Bratislava during the week – even if they can’t quite afford to take Falkirk lightly amid an incredible run of form.

The Hoops’ opponents went undefeated in League One last season and have started their return to the Championship with five wins out of five, putting Hearts out the cup to get this far. Sutton wrote: “I’d expect Rodgers to rotate against Falkirk tomorrow. He can’t underestimate a side that is in great form in the Championship and who have already put Hearts out of the Premier Sports Cup.

“But you’d think this is a chance for Auston Trusty to get minutes, along with Adam Idah, Paulo Bernardo and Alex Valle. It’s already talking about strength in depth but what that means is the momentum doesn’t drop when the names on the team sheet change. Celtic’s squad will be tested in the coming weeks. They had the A team out the other night but there will be times when someone is injured or suspended and Rodgers will need to shuffle his pack.

“The players coming in need to prove they are more than capable of slotting in and doing a similar job. Celtic ripped up the usual Champions League script the other night – but they need to stick to it on the home front, even if the main characters change.”

Celtic don’t often sign first-team players directly from other Scottish Premiership sides so Luke McCowan’s arrival in the summer transfer window took some by surprise.

At 26, McCowan had only ever played for Ayr United and Dundee, not possessing the experience profile you usually get from new Celtic signings.

That’s not to say he didn’t earn his big move. There can be snobbery about domestic transfers but McCowan was a stand-out in the top flight last season – scoring ten goals and assisting five more.

There’s intrigue about what he can offer Celtic over time and the early signs are good. Not only is he impressing fans – netting his first goal last week against Hearts – but behind the scenes he is fitting in well, too.

Luke McCowan not ‘out of place’ at Celtic

Former Celtic striker Tony Watt says people he’s spoken to at the Bhoys since McCowan’s arrival have given him the thumbs up.

He said [The Warm Up]: “I’ve heard a lot of good things. A lot of boys from Dundee are saying he’ll go there and do well. And whoever I’ve spoken to that’s trained with him since signing says he doesn’t look out of place.”

Watt thinks McCowan’s transfer is one of those that shows Brendan Rodgers now has real depth at his disposal which will help Celtic massively as the season progresses.

He continued: “I think managers get scared to work the players too hard, because when you work them hard, you get injuries.

“You need to accept that, but a lot of managers, especially at the lower clubs, don’t have the budget to get players in to have replacements for the boys who get injured. But Celtic do it well, they’ve gone and signed McCowan, spent money on Idah to come in for Kyogo.

“They’ve got two top, top players in every position. So he can work them to their max, and if he gets a couple of muscle injuries, he can just get on with it and pick them up again.”

McCowan could make first Celtic start soon

It’s clear that, with Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Arne Engels ahead of him, McCowan will primarily play a depth role this year. But he will make starts too.

That first time in the Bhoys eleven could come as early as Sunday against Falkirk in the Scottish League Cup.

Rodgers mentioned his team are carrying a few ‘niggles’ after the hard work put in against Slovan Bratislava and McCowan has the ability to come in and perform against the Championship side.

He’s already shown he is not overawed by the Celtic experience, so let’s see how he can take control of a game as a starter.

Chris Sutton has been assessing the current strength of Celtic after watching the Bhoys in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Brendan Rodgers’ side picked up their ever group stage victory in the tournament with a 5-1 win over Slovan Bratislava, starting this year’s edition in style.

The manager has his team playing with belief and confidence. Every player looks ready to give everything, from veteran stalwarts to new signings, for the Celtic cause.

New Bhoys Arne Engels was one of the standouts – named in one stat website’s team of the week – and Sutton reckons that Celtic have found themselves a bargain despite his record £11m fee.

Chris Sutton lauds new Celtic arrival Arne Engels

The former striker said [Daily Record]: “The Belgian’s display just proved Rodgers was right to push the boat out to get him. In fact, any scouts or spies in the stands or tuning in would have looked at Engels and felt £11m was a bargain.

“It is in European terms. The likes of Brentford spent £30m on Igor Thiago, Ipswich Town spent double the cost of Engels on Omari Hutchinson. Celtic spent a lot in comparison to Bratislava – but it’s still chicken feed compared to the likes of Borussia Dortmund.

“It’s obvious Engels is a player though. He’s got ability on the ball and he’s got tremendous physicality.

“He’s barely in the door and looks like he’s been in with the bricks for ages. For the first time in donkeys, Celtic even look a threat from corner kicks with him on dead balls.

“It’s early days and he’s still got to be developed, but he already looks like he’s the perfect fit for Celtic’s model of buying prospects and getting the best out of them before big money offers come calling.

“Let’s not wish him away just yet though. Engels is a young guy and while he’s shown he’s got terrific temperament with those penalties, there will be a time when his form dips a touch.”

The numbers behind all-action Arne Engels display

Engels plays with a maturity beyond his 21 years and has an impressive Celtic readiness after just his second start.

He stepped up to the elite level on Wednesday night and stood out as one of the best players on the pitch.

Winning nine of his 13 duels, four of his six tackles and completing seven defensive actions, it’s clear he can cope with a physical battle.

On the ball he had a 92% pass completion rate, creating two chances, one of which was the assist for Liam Scales’ powered header.

As mentioned by Sutton, set-pieces look to be a strength and his composure when slotting home the penalty was fantastic to witness.

Box-to-box, he looks to be the player Celtic needed to replace Matt O’Riley and he is just getting started.

Celtic’s Maeda ‘best in world at pressing defenders’

Daizen Maeda (right) was picked out for praise by Joe Hart on Wednesday

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says he doubts “there’s anyone better in world football” at pressing defenders than Daizen Maeda.

The 26-year-old Japan forward was picked out for praise on Champions League Match of the Day by former team-mate Joe Hart for “setting the tone” during Wednesday’s 5-1 demolition of Slovan Bratislava.

And Rodgers knows his front players deserve a slice of credit for the concession of only two goals in seven matches – all victories – this season.

“That’s where the game starts,” he said. “I’ve seen reports in terms of the team doing very well, keeping clean sheets and the goalkeeper and the back four.

“It starts at the front. And I would doubt there’s anyone better in world football than Daizen Maeda in that context.”

What do Celtic need to progress in Champions League?

Rodgers hails Celtic’s ‘greed, hunger and mentality’

Rodgers highlighted a clip from BBC Sport’s Champions League highlights programme including a Maeda challenge that thwarted a Slovan counter-attack.

The Japan attacker tracked the right-back before the play was switched to one of the visitors’ centre-backs, then he pressed him and won the ball.

“It’s the will and desire to do it, which most players won’t have,” the manager added.

“He could have easily dropped that press. He didn’t have to do that one. He actually got to the centre-half before the guy that should have got there.

“It’s incredible – it’s unbelievable pressing. But that’s mentality.”

The ‘vindication’ for Celtic board unlocked by £30m move pinpointed by Brendan Rodgers

Rodgers’ dished out credit for the opening victory of the league phase a big-spending summer window

Arne Engels celebrates (Image: Getty Images)

Brendan Rodgers says Celtic’s thrilling Champions League start vindicates the club’s summer splurge.

The Parkhead manager was proud with his team’s sensational opening to the Euro campaign and 5-1 hammering of Slovan Bratislava. Rodgers believes everyone associated with Celtic could feel huge satisfaction. He said: “I think the other night was a great vindication for everyone. I think for the board and the money they’ve spent, they will have enjoyed hopefully watching the team.

“The supporters, watching the game, seeing the verve in the team, the dynamism, everything they’d want and attacking football and representing them. And then the players themselves on the pitch, doing a brilliant job, fighting for the team, fighting for the club and producing great football, which is the demand. So I think everyone was vindicated.”

Rodgers had called for quality signings and spoke about bravery in the transfer market at the close of the January window. Club chiefs answered the call during the summer with the likes of £11million Arne Engels and £9million Adam Idah snared.

Both scored against Slovan as the entire team hit heights, but asked if his statement had proved any point to a certain extent, he said: “No, I didn’t prove a point. I think it was just a case of the board done great. You know, they got the players in and I said right the way through the window, I know what we wanted and we all wanted the same thing.

“And, by the end of the window, if we got the players that we could bring in that could help us, then it would be a great achievement by all. Then eventually we did that. And now you see when you have that calibre of player in, what it can do.

“Now, £11million or £1.5million, I will always look to develop and improve a player, whatever price that is, or what’s a young player coming through the academy. But looking at this particular group coming in last year and then having worked with them and then seeing how we want to progress, there was certain characteristics that I felt that we needed.

“And it’s basically known in the back of the mind that there’s a possibility of, say, Matt [O’Riley] going, not only are you losing goals, are you losing presence, you’re losing a set-piece expert because he was very good on those. So knowing that Arne fitted all that profile, then that’s why we were keen to get him in and help us

EA FC 25 review: Celtic and Rangers upgrades will have fans Rush-ing for more

New features have been added as well as facial scans for Glasgow’s big two

EA FC 25 has some fresh changes while other elements stay very much the same

It’s that time of the year again when footie-mad gamers get their hands on the latest edition of EA Sports FC.

But anyone expecting a revolutionary overhaul will have to wait another year, at least. It’s early days but initial impressions are that gameplay seems similar to FC24, with a few adjustments. Pace remains king, passing requires more precision and shooting seems a lot smoother.

There are a bunch of extra animations which makes the game feel that bit more realistic but the biggest new feature is without a doubt FC IQ, adding a completely new layer to managing your team’s tactics.

It’s almost like EA have taken a leaf out of Football Manager 2024’s book, giving you room to create your own tactics and playstyles. There’s a greater emphasis on player roles, which will have a major impact on Ultimate Team as those unfamiliar with their positions lose their potency – just like real life.

For gamers who want their teams to adopt Angeball, there’s also the easy option of copying tactics from world-class managers like Ange Postecoglou and Pep Guardiola.

As for Ultimate Team, Rush is a fun new small-sided game mode that allows you to team up with friends or strangers for a scrappy 5 vs 5 battle. It’s almost a throwback to playing football after school; headless chickens running around in an adrenaline-filled six-minute match. Credit to EA for listening to community feedback on this one, especially as it’s integrated throughout Career Mode to help improve youth prospects.

Speaking of which, the arrival of Women’s Career Mode is also a timely and refreshing upgrade. There’s also the addition of ICON Player Career Mode, allowing you to control some of the greatest names in football like David Beckham and Ronaldinho.

It’s been a long time coming, but Celtic and Rangers face scans have finally arrived, making Old Firm games a much more authentic experience. Full pre-match intros are back too, along with some new exterior shots of Celtic Park and Ibrox in the build-up to kick-off. Sadly though, crowd chants have been neglected once again this year and Hoops fans will need to put up with You’ll Never Walk Alone being belted out for the entire 90 minutes, a horrendously irritating glitch. Come on EA, sort it out so we can unmute our TVs!

Overall, there haven’t been drastic changes to FC 25. Aspects of the gameplay have been fine-tuned but it’s the additions of FC IQ and Rush that really justify forking out for this year’s instalment.

Verdict: 4/5

Frustrated Reo Hatate throws lingering Celtic narrative in the bin as midfielder names his new top priority

The Japan international was dealt a blow earlier this month

Disappointed Reo Hatate has conceded he was “frustrated” to be snubbed by Japan despite his latest international call-up.

But the Celtic star has insisted it far from a waste of time despite travelling over 5000 miles to his homeland and failing to make the bench for either clashes with China and Bahrain. Manager Hajime Moriyasu called up 27 players for the World Cup qualifying double header but was only able to name 23 in the matchday squads.

Hatate missed out on both occasions – leaving some Hoops’ fans to criticise the pointless journey in the midst of the start to the Premiership with the Champions League campaign around the corner. However, the midfielder doesn’t buy into that theory – insisting the disappointment on the trip only encourages him to be better for the Scottish champions. Writing for Sportiva, he said: “I would be lying if I said I did not have regrets about the recent Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

“Japan played China at home on September 5 and Bahrain away on September 10, and although I was selected for the national team, I was unable to make the 23-man squad for both games. I had been in good condition since pre-season and had scored a goal and assisted a goal for Celtic since the start of the league season, so I was confident that I could play an active role when I stepped on the pitch.

“I was also frustrated and disappointed that I had to watch the game from the outside after traveling such a long distance from Glasgow. I believe that this is a natural feeling for any player, and without that frustration, there would be no growth and development for me.

“It is the coach who decides who will participate in the match, and it is also the coach’s authority. That is an area that I, as a player, have no control over.

STEPHEN McGOWAN: Celtic must buy more stars like Engels if they are to keep Rangers on outside looking in

In 2018, the chairman of Rangers was Dave King. A man who could bandy words with the Dalai Lama, King was adept at lobbing verbal grenades towards the east end of Glasgow. These days he prefers to throw them at the people running his old club.

Six years have passed since King predicted that Celtic would fold like a pack of cards if Rangers won a league title. When they finally did it in 2021, those words blew up in his face like a stick of dynamite in a Looney Tunes cartoon.

While King spent this week firing out media barbs at the Ibrox investors he once led — challenging the lot of them to a square go — Celtic put the finishing touches to a set of financial figures showing a profit of £13.4million, an annual revenue of £124.6m and cash reserves of £77.2m. If that’s the cards tumbling down, you’d hate to see them with a winning hand.

The first Scottish outfit in history to spend £30m and finish a transfer window in profit, the Parkhead club are raking in more cash than Sue Gray and their conspicuous wealth creates a problem Rangers would kill for. How do they spend their £100m?

In the excitement of a 5-1 rout over Slovan Bratislava, barely anyone noticed that Celtic had just banked another £1.8m to add to the £40m already coming their way. For Rangers to earn another £1.8m in the Europa League, they’d need to win five of their eight fixtures. Hearts would need to win all six of their games in the Europa Conference League.

Champions League football and player trading means Celtic are now in a financial league of their own. How they use the cash will dictate how long they keep Rangers in a state of internal turmoil. Or how long they prevent a Hearts and Tony Bloom player-data tie-up from disrupting the status quo.

Arne Engels’ performance against Slovan Bratislava showed why he cost Celtic a record fee  .

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers urged the club to be more courageous in the transfer market.

Dave King predicted that Celtic would fold like a pack of cards if Rangers won the league title.

Football’s obsession with financial sustainability doesn’t help. UEFA will restrict player and coach wages, transfers and agents fees this season to 80 per cent of a club’s annual revenue plus their average player trading profit from the last three years. Next season, the figure drops to 70 per cent.

Even then, 70 per cent of what Celtic earn will be significantly more than 70 per cent of what Rangers rake in. Especially when the sales of Calvin Bassey, Joe Aribo and Nathan Patterson drop off the three-year radar.

To exploit their financial advantage, the Parkhead club will now take fewer punts on £2m projects.

There isn’t much wrong with a strategy of signing players aged between 19 and 24 with international recognition and affordable wages. Poor execution was always the issue, Brendan Rodgers urging the club to push the boat out and show a bit more courage.

Capitalism in its purest form, the Champions League is a billionaires’ playground where you get what you pay for.

And the performance of £11m record signing Arne Engels against Slovan Bratislava reinforced a conviction that Celtic should now be spending a bigger chunk of their budget on the Odsonne Edouards and Jeremie Frimpongs of this world and less on players like Alexandro Bernabei and Gustaf Lagerbielke.

If Scotland’s automatic slot in the Champions League goes the same way as Marco Tilio, a few more Arne Engels around the place would provide insurance for a rainy day.

To call themselves a Champions League club, Celtic don’t just need to recruit like one. Sooner or later, they’ll need to build like one as well.

First impressions count. And, once they’ve spent that £20m on modernising their Barrowfield training ground, the board will need to come up with some kind of plan to replace a crumbling main stand built for heroes from a bygone age.

When Europe’s finest players leave their bus on Champions League nights they approach a 1980s facade and pass through a set of flimsy glass doors locked on windy days to stop them flying off the hinges.

They pass some faux leather sofas in a modest reception area while foreign journalists climb the stairs to nibble on packs of Walker’s shortbread in a cramped media room past its sell-by date.

And every time they do, Celtic’s claims to be a Champions League club feel as flimsy as the glorified wedding marquee erected in the car park for post-match interviews.

A feasibility study into the cost of a new main stand was carried out in 2022 and found that a new structure would cost £100m. Significantly more now.

Chief executive Michael Nicholson blamed ‘limited financial capital’ for the failure to start building back then.

Yet, by the time the Matt O’Riley and Champions League cash comes in, Celtic will find themselves starring in their own sequel to the Richard Pryor movie, Brewster’s Millions. Pots and pots of money and no obvious plan to spend it.

 If the SPFL aren’t taking the League Cup seriously, why should anyone else?

The League Cup has become the old vase on an ageing auntie’s mantelpiece that no one wants to throw in the local skip.

It barely matters whether it’s sponsored by Viaplay, Premier Sports, Carabao or Viagra.

The lead is missing from the pencil and there’s no way of putting it back.

Big clubs devalue the product by playing fringe players. There’s no European place up for grabs at the end. Outwith a day of glory for St Mirren or Kilmarnock once in a blue moon, its only value derives from a domestic Treble for Celtic or Rangers.

If the SPFL insist on ploughing on, using the competition to bring in buttons from obscure broadcasters, the very least they could do is ensure a fair playing field.

When it comes to the use of VAR in the Premier Sports Cup, there should be no middle ground. Either they use it in all games or none at all. Allowing Premiership clubs like Motherwell and Aberdeen to opt out of utilising it in a quarter-final to save themselves £15k is an affront to sporting integrity.

While SPFL rules allow two of this weekend’s four quarter-finals to go ahead with no VAR, the English Football League places a higher value on sporting fairness.

In last season’s Carabao Cup, VAR wasn’t used in the semi-finals because Championship Middlesbrough had no video technology equipment in place at the Riverside Stadium.

While Liverpool had the full shooting match in place at Anfield, both last-four matches went without because England recognises that you can’t have justice for some and no justice for others.

The country which takes VAR — and integrity — seriously ensures that every game in the same competition is refereed to the highest possible standard.

Anything else is a flawed, half-baked two-tier system of officialdom.

Fresh Jota nightmare, spiky Kvistgaarden transfer address and forgotten £15m payday resurfaces – Celtic news bulletin

It has been a busy week for Brendan Rodgers and the Scottish champions

Winger Jota has suffered another career blow after leaving Celtic after picking up an injury at new club Stade Rennes.

The 24-year-old finally ended his nightmare spell in the Saudi Pro League last summer – just 12 months on from a £25m exit move away from Glasgow’s east end. He barely featured for Al-Ittihad having been dropped from the foreign player list almost instantly – and is attempted to kickstart his career with the Ligue 1 side.

However, he now faces a spell on the sidelines after just two appearances off the bench for the French side. Going into the clash with Lens on Saturday, boss Julian Stephan conceded he couldn’t put a timeline on when the 25-year-old would be back in action: “Jota may be too weak for this weekend. He has a muscle issue and we are on alert. It remains to be seen when he is back.”

While the Portuguese player is in the past for Celtic fans, one man who appeared to be on the cards as a future arrival was Mathias Kvistgaarden. The Brondby star has been on the Parkhead agenda over the last year – but a deal has failed to materialise.

And the 22-year-old appears to be unhappy – hinting that bids had come in last summer but the asking price by the Danes was too high. Asked by Viaplay about the prospect of an exit, the forward said: “Of course there has been something, but now I’m here at the club.

Brondby’s Mathias Kvistgaarden

“What you read on the internet is not always 100 percent true, but it is no secret that at one point or another I dream of going outside of Denmark. It didn’t happen in this window, but as you can see – I think – in the way I react on the pitch, I don’t think it’s something I’m struggling too much with in my head.

Asked if he was disappointed an offer had not been accepted, he went on: “Yes. There is no doubt of that, as I said, I dreams of it (playing outside of Denmark) one day. But once again I am pulling the Brondby shirt over my head and fighting for the fans and my teammates – those are the two I fight for.”

Scotland star sends league upstarts top of table as Il Toro flourish under former Rangers defender

Striker grabs winner in eventful win over Verona

Scotland striker Che Adams continued his strong start to his new life in Italy, coming on as a substitute as Torino defeated Verona 3-2 to move provisionally top of Serie A.

Adams made the switch to Turin during the summer after his contract with Southampton expired in the summer and after netting for the first time in Il Toro colours last month against Atalanta, he came on to score what proved to be the winner in a dramatic match Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi.

After starting last weekend’s 0-0 draw against Lecce, Adams dropped to the bench for this match, but manager Paolo Vanoli – a former Rangers defender – was vindicated in his decision, with both forwards Antonia Sanabria and Duvan Zapata netting in an eventful first half either side of Grigoris Kastanos’ goal for Verona. The hosts ended the first 45 minutes with ten men after Pawel Dawidowicz was sent off.

Adams came on for Sanabria on 67 minutes and netted 12 minutes later, drilling home a loose ball into the bottom corner. And while Daniel Mosquera netted in stoppage-time for the hosts to ensure a nervy ending, Torino held on for all three points.

Still unbeaten across all competitions this season, Torino go into the weekend as top dogs in Serie A. However, Napoli can reclaim pole position on Saturday should they win at home against Napoli. Adams’ Scotland team-mates Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour are expected to be involved and could make their home debuts.

Celtic’s performance against Bratislava catches ex-England stars eye

There’s a ray of positivity and expectation in the Celtic camp this season (Image: PA)

Former England striker Gary Lineker has heaped praise on Celtic, labelling them as one of the top contenders to advance to the knockout stage of the Champions League.

Celtic kicked off their league phase campaign in impressive fashion, securing a commanding 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday.

Following this dominant performance, Lineker is optimistic about the Scottish Premiership champions’ prospects in Europe this season.

With the tournament’s revamped format allowing the top 24 teams to enter the play-off rounds for a chance to reach the last-16, Lineker’s enthusiasm for Celtic’s potential is palpable after witnessing their dominant display against the Slovakian side.

“Talking of exciting football and brilliant stuff, what about Celtic banging in five?,” Lineker said on The Rest is Football Podcast.

“Now you would say they’re going to play against teams they can beat and I would say probably one of the favourites to reach the play-offs this year.

“I’ll remind everyone again because the teams between 8th and 24th will play in the play-off games to join the top eight in the Champions League last 16. So it will be interesting to see.

“I think with this format, let’s wait and see and see how it pans out. The only downside to that is that there’s even more football for the players.

“But a brilliant win for Celtic and a fantastic start for them.”

Fellow pundit Micah Richards then commented suggesting that Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic may have a better opportunity than ever to be a success at Europe’s top table.

“You know what, everyone talks about this new Champions League format and no disrespect to Celtic, in previous years and recent history, they might have had an opportunity to win a game maybe in one of the later rounds [of the group stage],” he explained.

“It might not have been one of the greatest games, it was sort of like for pride. Can we finish third and get into the Europa League?”

Could Celtic Star Kyogo Furuhashi Provide Manchester City’s Next Attacking Option?

Manchester City’s Interest in Kyogo Furuhashi: A Strategic Move to Bolster Attack

Manchester City’s hunt for further attacking reinforcements has led them to Celtic’s in-form striker, Kyogo Furuhashi. After the summer exit of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid, City’s squad depth in attack has become an area of concern. While Erling Haaland continues to dominate in front of goal, Pep Guardiola appears eager to add another dimension to his attack, and Furuhashi is firmly in his sights.

According to a report by HITC, City have had scouts observing Furuhashi at Celtic Park, indicating a long-standing interest in the Japanese forward. “City had scouts in the crowd at Celtic Park, which is also reporting that they’ve held an interest in the player for a number of years.”

Furuhashi’s ability to consistently find the back of the net for Celtic since joining in 2021 has made him an attractive option for City, with the Japanese international scoring 75 goals in 134 appearances. With a goal in Celtic’s 5-1 Champions League victory over Slovan Bratislava, he continues to show why top clubs, including City, are keeping a close eye on him.

Filling the Gap Left by Alvarez

City’s departure of Julian Alvarez left Guardiola without a clear backup for Haaland, and while the Norwegian striker’s form has been sensational, the team’s heavy reliance on him has been apparent. Haaland has already netted nine league goals this season, and with an unprecedented fifth consecutive Premier League title within reach, City cannot afford to become too dependent on one player.

The lack of additional goal-scorers is a concern. Beyond Haaland, only three other players have found the net this season, and Haaland struggled against Inter Milan in the opening Champions League fixture, a match that saw City held to a frustrating draw. Reinforcements are not just desirable but necessary, and Furuhashi could provide that alternative option.

According to HITC, City’s long-standing interest in Furuhashi may now evolve into serious pursuit. The Japanese forward could add versatility and goal-scoring prowess to City’s squad, a valuable asset given the rigours of competing on multiple fronts, including the Premier League, Champions League, and domestic cups.

Furuhashi’s Potential Premier League Impact

Should Furuhashi make the move to Manchester, he would join a notable list of Japanese players who have plied their trade in the Premier League. The likes of Shinji Kagawa at Manchester United, Shinji Okazaki at Leicester City (a Premier League winner in 2015/16), and Kaoru Mitoma at Brighton have already established Japan’s presence in English football.

Furuhashi’s success in Scotland suggests he has the tools to succeed in the English top flight. Known for his pace, intelligent movement, and clinical finishing, he could offer a different dynamic to City’s attack. His ability to play across the front line would give Guardiola tactical flexibility, while his goal-scoring record speaks for itself.

If Furuhashi were to make the jump to Manchester City, he would not only be following in the footsteps of other Japanese stars but could elevate himself to a new level, competing in one of the world’s most competitive leagues.

City’s Transfer Strategy

It’s clear that Manchester City are not just focusing on short-term goals. The recent signing of Brazilian winger Savio and the impending arrival of Claudio Echeverri from River Plate point to a longer-term strategy, where City are carefully building for the future. While Haaland continues to lead the line, and the club’s financial muscle allows them to pursue big names, they are also showing an interest in acquiring younger talent with potential.

Furuhashi, at 29, may not fit the ‘young star’ profile, but his form and experience would make him an ideal fit for a club looking to maintain its dominance at the highest level. With City competing for honours on multiple fronts, depth in the squad is key, and Guardiola is unlikely to turn down the chance to add a proven goal-scorer to his ranks.

However, City’s transfer plans don’t end with Furuhashi. Rodri, arguably City’s most important midfielder, is reportedly on Real Madrid’s radar, while Kevin De Bruyne’s future remains uncertain as his contract nears its end. City have identified Xavi Simons as a potential replacement for De Bruyne, a sign that the club is planning for life beyond some of their current stars.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

Kyogo Furuhashi’s potential arrival would be an exciting prospect. City supporters have witnessed Haaland’s brilliance week in and week out, but it’s clear that relying solely on him for goals is risky. Furuhashi could be the ideal backup or even partner for Haaland, providing Guardiola with more attacking options when rotating the squad.

City fans will also be intrigued by the club’s long-term strategy. While Haaland continues to grab the headlines, the potential acquisitions of players like Furuhashi, and the focus on younger talents such as Savio and Echeverri, suggest that Guardiola is building a team not just for today, but for the future.

It’s always a challenge for clubs like Manchester City to balance immediate success with long-term planning, but their recruitment strategy indicates that they are positioning themselves to remain at the top of English and European football for years to come. Whether Furuhashi joins or not, City fans can be confident that the club’s recruitment team, led by Guardiola, will continue to identify the right players to maintain their dominance.

As for Furuhashi, his track record at Celtic makes him an exciting proposition for City fans. His work rate, technical ability, and eye for goal could prove invaluable, especially as the team looks to maintain its competitiveness across all competitions. Should the Japanese star move to the Etihad, he will have the opportunity to further his career at the highest level, and City fans will no doubt welcome him with open arms.

Brendan Rodgers in surprise Celtic rave review of ‘brilliant’ former star who played just 5 Hoops games

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers | SNS Group

Celtic are in cup action against Falkirk this weekend.

Brendan Rodgers has provided a Celtic flashback to his first stint in charge by singing the praises of a rarely-seen former player.

Calvin Miller made just five appearances for the senior Celtic side after coming through the academy, but he has been the centre of praise from his ex-gaffer. Now with Falkirk, the Bairns take on the Premiership champions this weekend on Premier Sports Cup quarter-final business.

The left-back has shone for John McGlynn’s side, who won League One while going unbeaten in the third tier, and their Championship return has yet to come with defeat. When asked about whether Falkirk’s unbeaten run makes them stronger to play against, he pointed out some things he liked about McGlynn’s team, including a shout-out for Miller.

Rodgers said: “It tells you everything about the mentality they have. They’ve been on an incredible run and gone through not losing a game in the league and bringing that up to the Championship, doing so well, it tells you that they have really good characters in there.

“Guys who John trusts. I know even recently they’ve had a few results that look like being a draw and then they end up winning. So that tells you everything about the mentality in the squad.

“I know the likes of Calvin Miller who is there. Calvin was a brilliant young player for me. Didn’t quite kick on, he was keen to get out and play. But I really liked his game. He was quick, direct, left-sided, he’s playing more off the right now and cutting inside. When he was here, I really liked his qualities and they have players on either side that are dangerous players up front.