There have been dozens of brilliant footballers who have played for Celtic FC over the years and some of them can be regarded as true cult heroes who were faithfully idolised from the Parkhead stands.
Celtic FC: 5 Cult Heroes at Parkhead
Here are five of the biggest to have worn the famous green-and-white hoops.
Celtic FC Cult Heroes: Jimmy Johnstone
Jimmy Johnstone was the creative star of the Lisbon Lions, the Celtic team who became the first from Britain to win the European Cup when they beat Inter Milan in the 1967 final in the Portuguese capital. Known as Jinky due to his great dribbling ability, he brought great flair to the right wing, playing there for the Bhoys for 13 years which included a run of nine Scottish Championship wins.
He was third in the voting for the 1967 Ballon d’Or behind Hungary’s Florian Albert and Bobby Charlton and after 129 goals in 515 games, a statue of him was unveiled outside Parkhead in 2008, two years after his untimely death.
Celtic FC Cult Heroes: Henrik Larsson
Known as the King of Kings, Henrik Larsson is recognised as one of the greatest foreign imports in Scottish football history, as he scored 242 goals in 313 appearances for Celtic after joining the club for just £650,000 from Feyenoord in 1997. Larsson scored 35 or more goals in five of his seven seasons at the club and in one of those, 1999-2000, he missed eight months of the season with a broken leg.
He particularly flourished under Martin O’Neill when he teamed up with Chris Sutton and scored 53 goals in the 2000-01 season. Larsson won four league titles during his stay and no Celtic player has scored more goals in European competition than his tally of 35.
Celtic FC Cult Heroes: Charlie Nicholas
Charlie Nicholas was nicknamed Champagne Charlie for the flair with which he played and his love of good things off the pitch and he was idolised by the Parkhead faithful. There was great excitement when he emerged at the club, making his debut in 1979 before adhering himself in the 1980-81 season when he scored 28 goals in 47 appearances.
Nicholas was acknowledged as one of the best emerging talents in British football when he scored 48 goals in the 1982-83 season, which earned him a move to Arsenal, where he didn’t quite hit the same heights despite scoring both goals in the Gunners’ 1987 League Cup final win over Liverpool. After three years at Aberdeen, he played five further seasons back at Celtic in what was a celebrated homecoming.
Celtic FC Cult Heroes: Danny McGrain
Danny McGrain was regarded as one of the world’s greatest full-backs of the 1970s and a real Celtic stalwart. McGraine played 659 games for the club and claimed seven league championships, five Scottish Cups and two League Cups.
His playing style was a great initiative of the time as he became one of the first great attacking full-backs who looked to push forward at every opportunity. His combination of robust tackling and skillful ball play, along with his dedicated service, means he will always be regarded as a Celtic great.
Celtic FC Cult Heroes: Billy McNeill
Billy McNeill was the skipper of the Lisbon Lions, won 31 trophies at Celtic as a player and manager and no one has played more than the 822 appearances he made in an 18-year career at the club.
He won nine straight championship titles and a further four in two spells as manager between 1978-1983 and 1987-1991, which were punctuated by stints at Aston Villa and Manchester City. There is a statue outside Parkhead of him lifting the European Cup that night in Lisbon, the most famous image in the club’s history.
By Tom McGarry
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