Celtic qualifier is Red Imps’ reward after rise to the big league

Skipper Roy Chipolina has helped Lincoln Red Imps go from Sunday League to Champions League in almost three decades at the Gibraltarian club.

And the 33-year-old defender reckons this week’s glamour game against Celtic is their “present” for sticking with it.

Tuesday’s second- round qualifier will be the part-timers’ fifth European game after the Gibraltar FA was only admitted to UEFA as a full member in 2013.

Chipolina, who also skippered the national team in last year’s Euro 2016 qualifiers against Scotland, said: “Guys like Lee Casciaro and myself, we’ve played for Lincoln since we were about five or six years old.

“The only way I can explain it or compare it to Scotland is that it’s like playing for a Sunday League team and as you’ve got older, it has moved into semi-pro and now you’re playing Celtic. It’s just unbelievable.

“The lads are ecstatic. Getting through to the second round was our aim just like it was last year. We’ve done it and the present is playing Celtic.

“Who was going to tell us three years ago that we’d be playing Champions League football, never mind the mighty Celtic, a team that has won the European Cup before.

“It’s surreal. The game can’t come soon enough.”

Lincoln reached the second qualifying round for a second year after seeing off Estonian side Flora 3-2 on aggregate.

And Chipolina said: “We’re extremely proud of what we’re doing with the national team and now this. It shows we are moving forward slowly but surely and hopefully we’ll see Gibraltar football grow.

“The jump to Celtic, with all due to respect to Flora, is massive – but you never know.

“At the end of the day it’s 11 against 11 and we’ll do all we can to be successful.

“I’m sure we’ll do Gibraltar proud whatever the score is. We aim to do ourselves justice.”