Celtic pay tribute to Pat McCluskey, aged 68

Pat McCluskey played in both midfield and defence for Celtic and was known by players for his “no-nonsense style”. Born in Kilsyth in 1952, McCluskey played for Celtic between 1969-77, making 191 appearances for the club and scoring 13 goals. McCluskey later laced his boots to play with Dumbarton, Airdrie and Queen of the South, and he also spent a season in the United States. While hopes were still high for McCluskey, he was badly injured in 1977 which led to an early retirement from football. He died on Monday at the age of 68. On the official Celtic website, an emotional tribute was posted paying homage to a “versatile player” who left a real impact on everyone at the famous club. Their statement read: “Everyone at Celtic Football Club is saddened to hear of the death of former player Pat McCluskey, who has passed away at the age of 68. “A versatile player, who could be deployed in a number of positions, and who always gave his all for the Hoops, his competitive debut came in a Scottish Cup tie against Albion Rovers in February 1972, when he replaced Dixie Deans in a 5-0 win for Celtic. “In that 1971-72 season, Pat made a total of eight appearances, which included playing both legs of Celtic’s European Cup semi-final clash against Inter Milan. “During his time with the club, he won three league titles – including the season when Jock Stein’s side clinched their ninth league title in a row – two Scottish Cups and the League Cup, while he also played in the 1974 European Cup semi-final against Atletico Madrid. “The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Celtic are with Pat’s family and friends at this very sad time.”

Pat McCluskey in action for Celtic at Celtic Park.

Pat McCluskey was capped for the Scotland Under-23 side.