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Top ten Celtic players ever

Discussion in 'Celtic Chat' started by Miles Platting, Oct 12, 2012.

Discuss Top ten Celtic players ever in the Celtic Chat area at TalkCeltic.net.

  1. Miles Platting Irish Mancunian Gold Member

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    What do you think of this Top Ten.
    Taken from elsewhere

    Just to see if it will stir up a conversation I am going to declare the 10 Greatest Celtic Players I have seen in my time, starting from number 10 upwards. The list is personal, so feel free to add your choice.

    10. Pat Crerand. The greatest passer of a ball I have ever seen in my life.

    9. Bobby Lennox. Without doubt the fastest player over 10 to 15 yards ever. So quick in fact the linesmen couldn't keep up with him and called him offside, wrongly most of the time.

    8. Ronnie Simpson. Celtic's best ever goalkeeper in my time and the first to start the habit of throwing the ball back into play rather than kick it. A move which is now worldwide.

    7. Bobby Murdoch. Tireless workhorse of a right half which in the end cost him his mobility and his knees. He would have played in any position and would work forever.

    6. Billy McNeill. Wonderful captain and manager. Also a stalwart for Scotland. Scored the Scottish Cup Final goal in 1967 against Dunfermline to make the score 3-2, which began the club's great run of 9 League titles and the he became the first British captain to hold aloft the European Cup.

    5. Jimmy Delaney. A marvellous right winger with a beautiful turn of speed, and a brilliant crosser of a ball both with Celtic and Scotland.

    4. Jimmy Johnstone. Wee Jinky. At 5'4'' should not have stood a chance on any football field. Yet he was the best dribbler of a ball I have ever seen and could also cross a great ball.

    3. Kenny Dalglish. The finest player of the modern age from midfeld. He could read a game like no one else, a goalscorer into ther bargain, who could create a goal out of nothing. A Celtic great and a Scottish hero.

    2. Henrik Larsson. The best buy Celtic ever made. He would have been my first choice if only he had stayed a bit longer. In seven years he scored goals for fun and his biggest achievement was to pass Lennox's total of goals to become the team's second highest goal scorer. To come back after such a horrible leg break agains Lyons was a miracle, but then miracles were his stock in trade.

    1. Charlie Tully. The wonderful skills, the cheek, his dribbling skill, his crossing skill. It was nearly impossible for an opponent to take the ball from him without resorting to foul tactics, but even then this did not stop Charlie Tully. He accepted all this in the name of being the great footballer he truly was. He was what football used to be all about.

    There! That is my selection, but as I said it is a personal selection and for just one team. So - any differences? Get them down on paper, but use a different title, please.
     
  2. mygirlmaria

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    i am guessing the Billy McNeil goal against Dunfermline was a typo?
     
  3. Seán_67

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    The year is a typo not the goal. 1965 if memory serves me.
     
  4. mygirlmaria

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    Aye, thats what i meant.
     
  5. H67

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    Pat Crerand would never get into a top 50 celtic team imo.
     
  6. Seán_67

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    Ahh right, aye you're spot on then :50:
     
  7. KRS-1888 Scott La Rock

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    Can't help but think Jimmy McGrory should be included in any top ten Celtc players list.
     
  8. mygirlmaria

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    You would think so.....certainly in front of Crerand!
     
  9. The The Hand

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    No Scott Brown? :97:
     
  10. Sean Daleer Free Palestine Gold Member

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    Greatest teams, like greatest musicians, like greatest thinkers, like greatest authors, like greatest actors, like greate.....well you get the idea.

    The trouble is with things like these it is all subjective.

    You have just lifted that from somewhere else Wrigley, that is one mans opinion and everyone will have a different take on it.

    What is the criteria? Players you have seen in the flesh? Celtic men? On TV? On DVD, video tape? Heard stories from the old yins...?

    Why don't you post YOUR top ten and give us something to aim for instead of someone elses choices...

    If in the flesh and not a team then mine would be mostly attackers.

    Larsson
    McClair
    McAvennie
    McStay
    Collins
    Burns
    McGrain
    Sutton
    Lubo
    Lambert


    It's not a team by any stretch of the imagination but those guys would win every match 19-16 :icon_mrgreen:
     
  11. Gabberhead Celt

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    Lubo Moravcik
     
  12. Liam Scales Gold Member Gold Member

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    I think when you're getting to that level of players it's personal opinion on who you think is the greatest and the writer of that list had clearly seen them all play. I'll write up two; from what I've seen in person and from what I've seen through old videos, the Celtic TV archives.
     
  13. Liam Scales Gold Member Gold Member

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    Best I’ve seen…

    10) Paulo Di Canio

    The fact that he was only here for a year makes him so far down the list but when he was playing for us he was an utter genius; a player who was a cut above the rest. Pace, skill, arrogance, passing… the unbelievable bolshyness to just pull off the insane.

    9) Paul Lambert

    He was just sheer class, reader of the game and not too shabby going forward as well. He was one of the main players for us getting our European reputation back, was a deserved captain and his goal against the Huns on the New Year derby was something to behold.

    8) Neil Lennon

    Similar to Lambert but more of a defensive specialist and very much a leader on the park; his reading of the game is unsurpassed of anything I have seen at Celtic. Kept possession for us very well and always showed as an option and kept the ball moving. One of my favourite ever Celtic players.

    7) Paul McStay

    Probably only this far down the list because I only caught the tail end of his career but even then, wrecked with injury you could see the class shining through. Another great reader of the game, passer and leader. Had a not too shabby shot as well. A player I wished I saw more of, he didn’t deserve to spend a big part of his Celtic career in the worst ever Celtic team.

    6) Stillian Petrov

    This man had it all, he could pass, he could tackle, he could finish, he was good in the air and classy on the ground, he had a very good shot. What stood out for me most though was his determination and will to win, under Celtic he went from a chubby, lonely kid, misused at right back to one of the best midfielders in Britain and one of the best men to grace the game in Scotland.

    5) Johan Mjallby

    The best defender I have seen at Celtic Park; he was everything needed in a centre back, he could read the game very well, timing of the tackle was perfect, was a beast in the air, pacy and could take the ball quite easily out of the back, adept in either midfield or centre back.

    4)Artur Boruc

    The man who guaranteed us our 2 round of 16 finishes in the Champions League, Artur was a spectacular keeper. The bigger the game the bigger the stature of the man, fearless, commanding, superb reflexives; he made saves that had the opposition players shaking their heads in disbelief.

    3) Lubomir Moravcik

    Lubo… I love Lubo. He was just sheer class, his passing, his movement, his shooting, his vision. He done things that nobody else I’ve seen at Celtic would even think about attempting. I will never forget his face after he scored 2 goals against Rangers in his second game ever for Celtic. There was a glassy look of disbelief over what was going on around him. I think this sums him up best: When asked in an interview of what his favoured foot his Lubo replied “I can’t remember” genius. Moving to Celtic at 33 and to have the impact that he did will never be repeated in my opinion.

    2) Chris Sutton

    I loved Sutton, he was an astonishingly clever player, he always made sure the man got him before the ball, his hold up play was unsurpassed, his heading was great, passing was good, reactions brilliant. A very selfless player, he automatically made those around him a better player. Played in every single position on the pitch, including in goals in a pre-season friendly when big Rab went off injured. Put him in Central Defence, Centre Midfield or Centre Forward and have no problem getting a very high level of performance out of him. His goal against Juventus or his chip against Stefan Klos are the highlights of his Celtic Career for me.

    1)Henrik Larsson

    Who else would it be? Now this was a man who didn’t have everything but his football intelligence and sheer hard work turned him into a phenomenon average speed, average height… he would leave defenders in his wake, unable to catch up with him, if the ball got crossed into the box you knew it was Henrik Larsson’s head that would get on the end of it. He was a man for all occasions, if we had a big game you knew we could guarantee a Man of the Match performance from Henrik Larsson, his finishing and composure where the best in the world at one point. An absolute genius, I’m close to tears whenever I see him in the Hoops now. I was planning on highlighting his greatest moment in the Hoops but I’m not sure it’s possible, Boavista, Seville, so many against Rangers… so many European games. The 5th top scorer in the European Competitions ever… the 3rd highest to play in Britain. For a man who played for a team in the Scottish league for the majority of that, it is insane.

    There’s many things I can say about Henrik. I can sum it up by saying I think I love this man as part of my family. The word Legend doesn’t do him credit.

    Shout out to Aiden McGeady, Shunsuke Nakamura, John Hartson and Jackie McNamara who just missed out....
     
  14. Shane1888

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    10. Artur Boruc - As far as Celtic goalkeepers go, he's right up there with the best. Fantastic keeper on his day and despite having obvious problems in his final season here, he served us magnificently for about four years and was a key component of the 3 in a row team under Strachan. Some of his European performances were top notch too. He's definitely the best goalkeeper we've had in my lifetime, but of course, there is another man who is more worthy of the title of "greatest Celtic goalkeeper of all time". We'll get to that soon.

    9. Paul Lambert - European Cup winner with Borussia Dortmund. UEFA Cup finalist with Celtic in 2003. Various domestic trophies and fantastic performances for the Hoops in between. He is without a doubt one of the finest Celtic midfielders in modern times and served the club magnificently in the years that he was here. He takes his rightful place within the top 10.

    8. Lubomir Moravcik - Another genius that we were blessed with for a few years. He always stepped up in the important games. Scored a cracker in his first ever Glasgow derby (the glorious 5-1 game in 1998) and never looked back from there. 'Lubo's Ibrox Party' remains one of my favourite derby games of all time. I just wish we'd noticed him when he was in his 20s, as opposed to early 30s.

    7. Ronnie Simpson - The best Celtic goalkeeper of all time. Bold statement, but I don't think there's another man more worthy of the accolade. His achievements with us are unmatched by any other goalkeeper and without him, we may never have got to Lisbon in 1967 and made history. Obviously I didn't see him play in the flesh, but with the footage I've watched and from what I've been told by elders who were lucky enough to see him play, I've got no problem ranking him a few places ahead of Boruc.

    6. Bobby Lennox - Our second highest goalscorer of all time. Another member of the Lisbon Lions. Its not hard to see why he is revered amongst our support, even now. To be second in a list, only behind an all time great in McGrory and ahead of Larsson, is some achievement.

    5. Bobby Murdoch - One of the greatest midfielders, not just in Celtic history, but probably in British footballing history. I've read several autobiographies of Celtic players/legends, including Davie Hay and Billy McNeill, and they all rank him as one of the best players they ever saw, or worked with. Another man that made history as part of the Lisbon Lions.

    4. Jimmy McGrory - This man's goalscoring record is just phenomenal. We will never see another McGrory, ever. Nine goals in one game against Dunfermline, not to mention the other 400+ goals he scored for the club and the amount of years he served here as player and manager. The very definition of legend.

    3. Billy McNeill - Celtic's greatest ever captain. The player who has played the most games for Celtic in our entire history, with almost 800 appearances in the green and white hoops to his name. The first man to captain a British football club to European Cup success. On top of all that, a beast of a centre half and a * fine all round player. He also remains a great ambassador for the club to this very day.

    2. Henrik Larsson - This was always going to be the toughest part, but I have no choice but to rank Ghod at number two. I think if we had won the UEFA Cup in 2003, he would have cemented his legacy at number one in our all time greats list, but its hard to put him in ahead of the now obvious number one, without the European trophy there. His achievements don't require much discussion though. One of the greatest strikers in history. He could use his head, he could use both of his feet, he could score free kicks, penalties and he could score the most outrageous goals with ease (ask Stefan Klos for more information on that one). Simply one of the greatest players of all time. He later won that elusive European trophy in his career, but unfortunately, it was with Barcelona and not Celtic. Seven years, 242 goals, including many against the zombies and two in a European final. His achievements are surpassed by only one man...

    1. Jimmy 'Jinky' Johnstone - European Cup winner in 1967 and runner up in 1970. 129 goals and many more assists. The best winger in the history of football, arguably. I certainly can't think of anyone who comes close to the genius of wee Jinky. It won't come as a surprise to a lot of people that he's number 1, but as you can imagine, it was a very close call. I would never have ranked anyone other than Jinky ahead of Larsson. I firmly believe they are the top two Celtic players of all time and will probably never be surpassed, in our lifetime anyway. Jimmy is the only man who could take part in Alfredo di Stefano's testimonial and outshine him in front of the adoring Real Madrid fans, who reportedly applauded Jinky whenever he touched the ball. That is a measure of how fantastic the wee man was. On top of all of that, what a character he was off the pitch too. The rowing boat story and the conversation with Jock Stein on the way to Belgrade for a two legged European tie are two of the most popular stories amongst Celtic supporters. We'll never see another like him.

    Honorable mentions: Tommy Burns, Stevie Chalmers, Chris Sutton, John Hartson and Kenny Dalglish.
     
  15. ILoveTheCeltic

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    I think there should be 2 Top 10's a modern one and an old one.

    1. Jimmy Johnstone
    2. Kenny Dalglish
    3. Bobby Murdoch
    4. Henrik Larsson
    5. Danny McGrain
    6. Bobby Lennox
    7. Billy McNeill
    8. Tommy Gemmell
    9. Paul McStay
    10. Lou Macari

    (Chalmers, Sutton, Auld, Aitken, Di Canio, Nicholas, McClair, MacLeod, Burns, Mjallby, Lambert, Petrov, Connelly, Hood, Deans, Glavin, Crerand, Wallace, Van Hooijdonk, McBride)

    1. Jimmy McGrory
    2. Patsy Gallacher
    3. Jimmy Quinn
    4. Alec McNair
    5. Bobby Collins
    6. Sandy McMahon
    7. Charlie Tully
    8. Bobby Evans
    9. Jimmy McMenemy
    10. Adam McLean

    (Thomson, Fernie, Shaw, Mochan, Delaney, J.Gallacher, MacDonald, McInally, Scarffe, Cassidy, Napier, McColl, Bennett, Hamilton)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 12, 2012
  16. Shane1888

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    When does the modern list begin though? Starting from the 1990s?
     
  17. Saul Goodman Gold Member Gold Member

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    In no particular order,

    Henrik Larsson
    Kenny Dalglish
    Jimmy Johnstone
    Danny McGrain
    Jimmy McGrory
    Patsy Gallacher
    Billy McNeill
    Tommy Gemmell
    Bobby Lennox
    Charlie Tully
     
  18. ILoveTheCeltic

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    No the 60s, when Celtic started playing in Europe so it became easier to compare with foreign teams.
     
  19. FrankMcCallum Gold Member Gold Member

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    1. Henrik Larsson
    2. Jimmy Johnstone
    3. Bobby Murdoch
    4. Kenny Dalglish
    5. Danny McGrain
    6. Jimmy McGrory
    7. Billy McNeill
    8. Bobby Lennox
    9. Paul Lambert
    10. Charlie Tully
     
  20. johnboy19

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    Danny McGrain and Billy McNeil would be in every top Celtic team for me.