Celtic’s history in the beautiful game of football is storied and incredibly well known in circles far outside of Glasgow and Scotland itself, and our rich back story spans 137 years and all the way back to November 6, 1887.
With our first game in 1888, a friendly against a fellow local side, resulting in a 5-2 victory many would say that the die was set and the future had already been largely scripted, and that has pretty much proven the be the case. We are one of only six sides in the world to have won in excess of 100 trophies and for those who like a flutter and use the best betting offers in the UK, we can fully expect that the 2024/25 campaign will add a few extra shelves to our trophy room. Part of our success has simply been down to the fact that we have been an ever present in the Scottish top flight since the inaugural 1890 campaign.
As of 2024, 54 Scottish League titles, 42 Scottish Cups and 22 Scottish League Cups becomes even more impressive when you consider our consecutive trophy runs, not least we were the first British team to lift the European Cup in our quadruple season of 1966/67 (we also took the Glasgow Cup that year to make it five).
Allied with that rich history is also the fact that we have had (arguably) more than our fair share of absolutely legendary talents, as a calibre of player naturally attracts similar fresh talent who are on the same level, as well as forcing youngsters who want a future with us to double down and work even harder to become even better themselves.
With 137 years behind us though, a top five greatest, or top ten greatest list of our best ever players is bound to stoke some controversy and disagreement, as whichever way you slice it every fan will be capable of quickly listing a handful of players that ultimately just lose out through lack of space.
So, as a child of the 1990’s I am just going to pick a handful of players who stood out to me as I was growing up as a younger fan. Maybe they are more childhood heroes as opposed to true dyed in the wool legends with greater medal tallies, but that can be for others to decide.
In no particular order, I have to start with 106 capped Swedish international legend Henrik Larsson. His seven year spell more than saw success and with 174 goals in 221 league appearances alone, I would be amazed if he did not feature somewhere on everyone’s list.
Paul ‘the Maestro’ McStay is another who tallied fantastic talent with a great work ethic, and with the 76 capped Scotland international being a true one club man throughout his career, he has always been loved more than most.
Stiliyan ‘Stan’ Petrov arrived as basically an unknown in 1999, but thanks to working in a burger van (what a story!) his time at Parkhead came to a close with him being the first foreign winner of the SPFA Young Player of the Year, as well as ten winners medals.
Scott Brown has to be mentioned. A true leader, heart on his sleeve and an incredible driving force during tougher moments during his lengthy 14 year spell at Celtic Park. He is also well remembered for certain controversial moments as he did like getting under the skin of the opposition as part of his leadership style. His medal tally with us speaks for itself though.
I will end with Shunsuke Nakamura, as although the 98 capped Japanese international only spent four seasons with us, he had an incredible impact at the club and helped create some very memorable moments. He easily established himself as one of the best Asian players in the European game and that was recognised when he was nominated for the 2007 Ballon d’Or.
Outside of that window, many others would mention a certain Kenny Dalglish, maybe a Roy Aitken or even a Jimmy Johnstone. There are many others and plenty to chose from.
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