Lucasz Zaluska has given a dressing room opinion on the ‘worst player to appear in a World Cup Final’
The goalkeeper was back-up to Artur Boruc in 2010 when Toy Mowbray went on an incredible recruitment drive in January 2010.
Robbie Keane was the star signing of that window with the on loan Spurs striker picking up the club Player of the Year award despite only spending five months in Scotland.
Signed at almost the same time was Edson Braafheid, a replacement for Danny Fox with Lee Naylor out in the wilderness and in the final months of his contract.
The Celtic squad of 2010/11 contained many unusual names such as Jos Hooiveld, Landry N’Guemo, Diomansy Kamara, Zheng Zi and Morten Rasmussen.
Zaluska watched them all come and go but couldn’t believe what he was watching when one of his team-mates appeared as a substitute in the World Cup Final in South Africa.
Zaluska told Polish website Prezeglad Sportowy:
Every Dutchman I met at Celtic considered himself the best in the world. If he did not play, he was offended. They are not the easiest people to be coached because their arrogance shines through them.
In 2010, we had Edson Braafheid on loan. He wanted to get games because the World Cup in South African was about to be played. Believe me, I can’t tell you how bad he was.
He never got a game at Celtic, but after we had clinched the title, Neil Lennon told him he wanted to try and get him to the World Cup and would play him for three matches.
He didn’t play for Holland in the six matches and then Gio van Bronckhorst got injured in the Final. I’m watching it and suddenly I see Edson getting changed about to go on. I couldn’t believe it.
This was a guy who couldn’t even get on to the bench with us and he’s playing in the biggest game in football!
Something may have been lost in translation with Celtic failing to win the league but a 2-1 win over Rangers with goals from Marco Fortune and Naylor salvaged something after losing to Ross County in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup.
Although his last game on loan at Celtic was on May 9 he was listed by FIFA as a Celtic player for the World Cup Finals.
Braafheid signed on loan from Bayern Munich, played in 12 matches for Celtic then went on to play for Hoffenheim, FC Twente, Lazio and Utrecht before retiring at the age of 35.