Wayne Rooney will relish taking his England players into a pre-match huddle at Celtic Park tonight.
The England skipper has never hidden his admiration for Celtic having followed the club since his youth and made regular visits to watch the hoops while enjoying the high life at Everton and Manchester United.
Few of his 100 international appearances will match the thrill of leading England out the tunnel as he looks up at the words CELTIC FOOTBALL CLUB in green letters before gathering his team-mates together for a special message.
“It shows the togetherness of the team,’” Rooney explained about the huddle. “It’s come from all of us as a team. It’s good. Up to now I’ve spoken, and a few lads have jumped in after I’ve spoken, which is great. It shows everyone’s wanting to be vocal. It’s something we’ll continue to do.”
Rooney likes to keep his sons kitted out in the latest Celtic gear and has a deep affection for the holy ground in Glasgow’s east end adding: “I’ve played here before in the Champions League and the atmosphere is really loud and intense. I found it inspiring and intimidating. I was a young lad. It was a great atmosphere before the game as you came out. It’s a stadium with a particular atmosphere you want to experience as a player.
“I’ve played up here a few times, so I wanted to pass on my experience. Their fans will be really up for it. It will be quite intimidating if you’re not used to it, so I just talked about it to the younger ones in general to make sure they’re ready for it. Everyone knows this stadium, the fans here have a great reputation of making it an intimidating place to come.”
Former Celtic keeper Fraser Forster is likely to join Rooney in the huddle.