Paul Elliott

Paul Elliott has opened up on the powerful bond he shared with Celtic legend Billy McNeill — and the emotional goodbye that left him in tears after just two seasons in Glasgow.



The central defender, who joined the Hoops from Italian side Pisa in 1989, may have only worn the green and white for a brief period, but the connection he forged with the club, its supporters, and above all, McNeill, has endured for decades.

Elliott, who was signed by McNeill for £650,000, had previously worked under the iconic figure during a managerial stint at Aston Villa in the 1986/87 season. Their reunion at Celtic proved to be one of the most formative periods of Elliott's life — both professionally and personally.

“I love Big Billy,” Elliott recalls. “I remember when we had the phone call and he said, ‘Big man, are you coming here?’ I said, ‘Yes, boss, of course I’m coming.’ He said, ‘That’s my boy.’

“When I landed at Glasgow Airport, Billy and his wife Liz came to meet me. I said to him, ‘There aren’t many brothers up here, are there?’

“He just looked at me and said, ‘Don’t worry, son. I’ll be your big brother.’ I remember that moment to this day — he gave me a big hug. I loved him for how he treated me.”

McNeill was more than a manager to Elliott — he was a mentor, confidant and protector. The former England defender remembers how McNeill supported him during tough moments, including behind-the-scenes disputes with the Celtic board



He man-managed me incredibly well. He knew I needed to fly home to England after the games, and he let me go. He’d say, ‘Big man, take Monday off — just be in Tuesday morning. Don’t be late.’

“He knew I’d never let him down. I’d go the extra yard for him.”

Elliott arrived in Glasgow with a glowing reputation from Serie A, which at the time was widely regarded as Europe’s elite league. But his spell coincided with a dominant era for Rangers under Graeme Souness, and one of Celtic’s most barren periods in their modern history.

“Souness did a marvellous job at Rangers and had the money to spend,” said Elliott. “But we had some fantastic players, Paul McStay, John Collins, Jacki Dziekanowski, Dariusz Wdowczyk, Packie Bonner, Derek Whyte, Joe Miller, who were all top talents.”

He speaks particularly fondly of McStay, affectionately known as “The Hat.”

Elliott said: “Paul led by example. I remember watching a programme on him when he was just 15. Inter Milan had come in with an offer of half a million pounds, but Celtic said no. You just knew he was destined to be a star.

“He’s so humble. He’s my buddy. John Collins was the same, great left foot, like a wand, technically brilliant.

As for Dziekanowski?

Elliott said: "He was a super-talented player, but he once said to me he discovered three things in Scotland: women, Tennent’s lager and prawn cocktail! He put on a stone!

"Seriously, the things he could do with a ball were amazing. I’ll never forget his four goals against Partizan Belgrade in that 5–4 win.










Despite his strong relationship with McNeill, Elliott admits there was one occasion that tested it — after Celtic lost 2–1 to Rangers in the 1989 Skol Cup Final at Hampden. Elliott scored and was named Man of the Match — but still chose to hit the town with some of his friends in the Rangers team.

"Big Billy looked straight at me in the dressing room and said, ‘Big man, I don’t want to see you anywhere near Glasgow city centre tonight.’

“I said, ‘Gaffer, I promise you I won’t be out.’ But as soon as 8:30 rolled around, Paul McStay and Jacki called me — they called me Jamaica — and said, ‘What are we doing tonight?’

“An hour later, I caved. I went out to Victoria’s nightclub. I knew all the Rangers boys — I’d played against them. I just thought, ‘Sod it.’

“I remember the next day, Billy just ignored me. First time he ever did. He was gutted. That silence said more than any shouting ever could.”

Elliott left Celtic at the end of the 1990/91 season to join Chelsea. Though he didn’t lift any silverware with the Hoops, he was named Scottish Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year, an accolade which he is rightfully proud of.

“It meant everything,” he said. “It was against the odds. That was me at my peak — talent, personality, confidence. I didn’t get a direct offer from Rangers, but there were rumours. People thought my stay at Chelsea was going to be temporary.”

But it was his departure from Celtic that hit hardest.

“I remember the day I left. I just cried. I’m not ashamed of it. Tears of appreciation, gratitude, respect.

“Celtic… it was a feeling. A real, emotional connection. London is huge — there are 15 clubs, and you don’t get that same intensity. Celtic was different. The love, the kindness, it was special. I didn’t feel that anywhere else. You just do your best and you just hope, you know, you leave there on good terms, do the right thing.

"I'm so grateful that every club I went to, I impacted. This one was special because I was emotionally drawn to Celtic by the love"

Since retiring, Elliott has continued to make an impact off the pitch. A passionate advocate for inclusion and equality, he now serves as Chair of the FA Inclusion Advisory Board and has been awarded both an MBE and a CBE for his work tackling racism in sport.

He found a voice in Glasgow. With the help of PFA Scotland, he became a source of good or 'a change agent' as he once eloquently put it.

Paul Elliott was speaking on the latest edition of ‘The Warm-Up’ podcast with Kris Boyd, Steven Naismith and Chris Sutton, reflecting on his career at Charlton, Luton, Aston Villa, Pisa and Celtic, as well as racism in football, the injury that ended his playing days and the joys of fatherhood.

 

At a time when Celtic seriously struggled, he really was a class act.

 

Finally got round to watching that, enjoyed it. He’d be a great man to have around the club.

 

Best Celtic centre half I've seen live, absolute legend!

 

Watched this earlier. Brilliant stuff, what a guy, what a player. Easily one of the best players we ever had that never lifted a trophy with us. A real shame in that regard.

 

Some player, him and Jackie, two great players.