After seven seasons wearing the famous green and white hoops, Henrik Larsson left Glasgow as Celtic’s third highest ever goalscorer, and one of the club’s most enduring icons.
You’d be hard pressed to come up with a Bhoys player – outside of Kenny Dalglish, or any number of Jock Stein’s all-conquering Lisbon Lions of 1967 – with whom Celtic fans were more besotted.
It’s difficult to think of anyone in the whole of Scottish football who has reached such heights over the last twenty-five years. The striker hit the sort of numbers that are usually the preserve of only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and if some took that as evidence he was too good for the SPL, Larsson had other ideas.
The Swede repeatedly turned down more lucrative offers to stay with the club so dear to his heart, and even after he was finally lured away by Barcelona in 2004, the Celitc Park faithful couldn’t really begrudge him a shot at the Champions League (which he duly lifted in Paris two years later).
Given all of that, you might be surprised to learn that Larsson began his Celtic career, way back in 1997, in pretty inauspicious fashion. Introduced as a second-half sub away at Hibs, with the game tied at 1-1, Wim Jansen’s new signing made a calamitous pass which ended with the home side scoring the winning goal.
And here are the other thirteen Celtic squad players on the day who performed a collective face-palm.
Gordon Marshall
One-cap Scotland goalkeeper Marshall spent seven years on the books at Celtic Park - most of which on the bench. Image source: Twitter
Jackie McNamara
Right-back McNamara played more than 350 games during his decade-long stint with the Hoops.
Image source: Twitter
Tom Boyd
Long-time Celtic and Scotland stalwart Tom Boyd had the look, and stlyle, of a classic no-nonsense centre-back.
Image source: Twitter
Alan Stubbs
Stubbs' once-promising managerial career is beginning to go off the rails - but the centre-half was always reliable back in his playing days. Image source: Twitter
Tosh McKinlay
The former Hearts left-back didn't sign for Celtic until he was in his 30s, but still carved out a solid five-year career in Glasgow.
Image source: Twitter
Malky Mackay
Mackay's reputation may be in tatters these days, but twenty years ago he was a solid rotation option at Celtic Park. Image source: Twitter
Simon Donnelly
Nimble midfielder Donnelly played 150 times for Celtic before heading south of the border with Sheffield Wednesday. Image source: Twitter
Craig Burley
The winger, now a pundit on ESPN, enjoyed the best spell of his career at Celtic, where he hit 20 goals in two years. Image source: Twitter
Darren Jackson
The striker-cum-midfielder never really established himself at Celtic - partly because he arrived the same summer as Larsson.
Image source: Twitter
Andreas Thom
The big German centre-forward spent three years with Celtic in the mid-90s, finally clinching the SPL in his last season. Image source: Twitter
Tommy Johnson
The Englishman had a half-decent record in front of goal for the Bhoys, but was never going to displace Larsson. Image source: Twitter
Morten Wieghorst (sub)
The Giant Dane's time in Glasgow was ravaged by health issues, but Wieghorst is still fondly remembered by fans.
Image source: Twitter
David Hannah (sub)
The midfield anchorman never became a permanent fixture at Celtic, and re-joined boyhood team Dundee United in 1999.
Image source: Twitter
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Given that most of these players didn’t have half the talent Larsson did, it’s probably fair to say the Swede quickly got over the embarrassment of gifting the opposing team a goal in his Celtic bow.
Whatever became of their careers, though, they can take a crumb of comfort from the fact that they were there when one of the Hoops’ favourite sons took his first steps in green and white.
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