Celtic bills itself as a “Club Like No Other,” and that is especially true when you consider the unique bond players have developed with supporters since it was founded in 1888 by Irish immigrants to Glasgow. Here is a list of the most popular players ever to wear the green and white hoops, the Celtic fan favorites.
Celtic Fan Favorites: The 10 Most Popular Celtic Players of All Time
10. Neil Lennon
As a manager, the Lurgan-born Lennon wasn’t always—or universally—loved, but as a player the hard-nosed midfielder (and team captain) wore his heart on his sleeve and will always be remembered for a certain defiant moment following a match at Ibrox. It didn’t hurt that he was and is a lifelong Celtic supporter.
9. Paddy McCourt
The brief moments of magic by the on the pitch by the "Derry Pele" won over the hearts of supporters soon after he arrived in Glasgow from Ireland in 2008. The “Paddy McCourt Song” — a popular ditty at Celtic Park — urged the club not to sell him, and he was kept. He left in 2013 after his contract expired and his skills had faded.
8. Scott Brown
Brown, the current team captain, grew up a supporter of the archrival Rangers and started his professional career at Hibs in Edinburgh, but his tireless work rate and stone-cold pre-match stare have made him an iconic figure at the club — even though he still commutes from the Scottish capital.
7. Henrik Larsson
“King Henrik” scored so many big goals for Celtic it’s hard to believe the club haven’t built a statue in his honor outside its home ground. The Swede left for greener pastures (and more green) in 2004, but not before setting the standard for modern strikers at the Glasgow club.
6. Jim Craig
The first “Lisbon Lion” to make the list, Dr. Craig (a practicing dentist) was a key player on Celtic’s 1967 European Cup-winning team. Over the years, the former defender has become a de facto spokesman for that legendary side.
5. Willie Maley
It’s unlikely a Celtic supporter alive today saw Maley make one of his 75 appearances for the club as a player, but an eponymous song in honor of the County Down, Ireland-born man who went on to manage the club for more than 40 years still rings around Celtic Park.
4. Paul McStay
McStay, a Scot, made more than 500 appearances for Celtic during an era in which the team struggled on the field and the club floundered off of it. Still, “the Maestro” is recalled fondly as a former team captain and one of the club’s best-ever players.
3. Billy McNeill
Another “Lisbon Lion,” McNeill was a hard-nosed defender and is best known for captaining that 1967 side that won the European Cup. He went on to manage Celtic as well.
2. Tommy Burns
The Glasgow-born Burns, a lifelong Celtic supporter, played, coached and managed his boyhood club. Sadly, he passed away far too soon, at age 51, from skin cancer in 2008. Celtic won the league that season, and wore shirts in Burns’ honor as they were presented with the trophy.
1. Jimmy Johnstone
“Wee Jinky’s” on-field genius routinely places him at the top of lists of best-ever players at Celtic. A Lisbon Lion, Johnstone died in 2006 at the age of 61.
