It’s a question with limitless answers- pick a Celtic XI made up of players from eleven different countries.
The best of selections are always likely to spark debate, which players would get into the Lisbon Lions? Who makes up the best Celtic XI since the war? Since Lisbon? Since 2000?
Obviously the Swedish entrant is well known but there are plenty of options elsewhere with the Scottish and English choices particularly difficult.
Who tells Chris Sutton and Paul McStay that they haven’t made the cut?
Until the nineties foreign players were fairly rare, Johannes Edvaldsson was about the only player to come from outside the British Isles.
Poles and Swedes have been prominent with players from almost every country in Europe representing Celtic at one time or another.
In recent times the Celtic team has had a real universal flavour with players recruited worldwide.
Strangely Celtic haven’t had any American players although there were a few near misses in the early nineties when John Harkes and Brad Friedel arrived on trial.
The Isle of Man is perhaps the smallest ‘country’ to have provided Celtic with a player- as things stand that player could go on to be one of the most celebrated in the club’s history.
ARTUR BORUC
He joined on loan in the summer of 2005 and quickly established himself as a key part of Gordon Strachan’s success story.
In Europe he proved his worth with some stunning displays that took the hoops into the last 16 of the Champions League in successive seasons.
It did turn sour under Tony Mowbray with a cut price exit agreed with Fiorentina, he is still celebrated in song and on stand by at Bournemouth.
DANNY MCGRAIN
The ultimate right-back, setting the template for full-backs for generations to come.
He broke into the first team in the early seventies as part of the Quality Street Gang and was the only one to last the distance, staying at Celtic through until 2017.
Three serious injuries hampered his medal collection but in the mid-seventies there is no doubt that he was among the best defenders in world football.
VIRGIL VAN DIJK
It was short and sweet with Virgil but even at Liverpool he barely seems stretched as he faces up to some of the best strikers in the world.
Neil Lennon splashed out £2.5m to take the defender from Groningen and almost instantly it was obvious that he was destined for the very top.
After two seasons he took the traditional route to Southampton, in January he was a £70m signing for Liverpool, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona in two years time.
BOBO BALDE
He’s goannae get you! A key signing of the Martin O’Neill era he added even more muscle to a defence that already included Johan Mjallby and Joos Valgaeren.
Domestic strikers were genuinely fearful against the Celtic defence, there was nothing fancy or showy as they deployed a Thou Shall Not pass philosophy to their play before feeding the ball into midfield.
Post O’Neill things went downhill rapidly on one of the worst contracts ever negotiated but the memories are still strong despite a red card against Porto on Seville.
KIERAN TIERNEY
The greatest player ever produced by the Isle of Man!
Fortunately the Tierney family returned to Wishaw when KT was a toddler, he developed his skills in Lanarkshire while catching the eye of the Celtic Academy.
The fan on the park has been pivotal to the last three title successes, he wears his heart on his sleeve but is deadly serious about developing his game. Nothing can be ruled out for KT.
LUBO MORAVCIK
Without question Celtic’s greatest ever Slovak.
It was genuinely a case of Lubo who when he was signed by Dr Jo in the autumn of 1998 but after one incredible derby display every Celtic fan wished that he had been signed a decade earlier.
Lubo left dozens of memories from trapping the ball with his backside to scoring a double at Ibrox- among the most skilful players every to play for the club.
VICTOR WANYAMA
It wasn’t quite a Lubo reaction but there was no fanfare for the young Kenyan brought from Belgium for £1m in the summer of 2011.
His physical strength was never in doubt but his ability started to shine through with commanding performances in the Champions League.
By the time he headed into the Barcelona net in November 2012 his future lay elsewhere, at Southampton and Spurs he has been the equal to any midfielder in the EPL.
STAN PETROV
The lasting success of the John Barnes regime, with apologies to Bobby Petta.
He could easily have been discarded by Martin O’Neill after an indifferent first season but became a key player in the success of the Irishman with a pleasing knack for scoring in the Glasgow derby.
He did leave under something of a cloud to be reunited with O’Neill at Aston Villa but a £5m profit and from six years service barely tells the tale of the contribution made by the Bulgarian.
ALAN THOMPSON
Another essential element of the O’Neill years, Thompson was a winner and was never prepared to settle for anything less. Exactly what his gaffer ordered.
He provided a constant supply of crosses for Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton, like Petrov he developed the happy habit of finding the net against Rangers (IL).
It did fall apart quickly after Gordon Strachan took charge but the £2.5m paid to Aston Villa was repaid many times over by an essential element of the Seville side.
HENRIK LARSSON
Does anything more need to be said- it takes someone special to keep Johan Mjallby and Mikael Lustig out of this side!
He could easily have used Wim Jansen’s departure to make his own move but opted to stay and piled in the goals for Dr Jo and John Barnes.
Henrik recovered from a leg break that would have finished lesser men to be the one true world class player in O’Neill’s squad with 242 goals confirming his massive contribution to the club. Unforgettable.
JORGE CADETE
What an autobiography he has!
In-between having his debut delayed by SFA cheat Jim Farry and engineering his departure back to Portugal there was a hatful of goals and memories by the curly haired striker.
Alongside his fellow Amigos Di Cannio and van Hooijdonl he helped fill the new look Celtic Park but all three had left by the time Wim Jansen ended the title drought.