E we chosen to patrol the centre of the park for our Premier XI? IELD GENERAL
possessed an incredible will to win.
Lennon’s team-mates, the likes of John Hartson, Henrik Larsson, Stiliyan Petrov and Chris Sutton, were perhaps more celebrated. But where would they have been without him?
St Mirren (1986 to 1993), Motherwell (1993 to 1996) and Celtic (1997 to 2005)
Four (1998, 2001, 2002 and 2004).
ANYONE who can nullify the threat posed by Zinedine Zidane in a Champions League final must be a bit of a player. Paul Lambert, after years spent at St Mirren and Motherwell, did that in 1997 when Borussia Dortmund defeated Juventus. He became the first British footballer to lift the European Cup with a foreign team in the process.
Lambert (below) was converted from a box-to-box midfielder into a holding midfielder by Ottmar Hitzfeld at Dortmund. He excelled there and Paulo Sousa and Andreas Moller ahead of him both benefited from his presence.
Celtic, who he joined in a £2m transfer later that year, certainly did too. Lambert’s arrival proved the catalyst for the Parkhead club to win their first league in 10 years and prevent
Rangers completing 10-In-A-Row. His time in Germany had made him a class, arguably a world-class, performer. He gave the Glasgow club a vital cutting edge. Two seasons of disappointment under Jo Venglos, John Barnes and Kenny Dalglish followed. But he was, like so many, galvanised by the arrival of Martin O’Neill in 2000. The Scotland internationalist won a further seven trophies in the following
THIS will be, for some, a controversial selection. The boy from Hill of Beath would not profess to be anywhere near as technically gifted as many of those in contention for a starting spot. But he is a far better player than his many critics give him credit for. And he is one of the most decorated players in the history of the Scottish game. Last month’s Premiership win took his haul of medals to 22. His detractors say his passing is poor, he lacks discipline and doesn’t score enough goals. But he has a multitude of strengths. He reads the game brilliantly, has a remarkable engine and leads by example. He has, too, an antagonistic streak in him and is loathed by opposition supporters. But they would, as the old saying goes, love it if he played for their team.
The £4.4m fee that Celtic paid Hibs for him in 2007 was a record between two Scottish clubs and raised eyebrows at the time. But it has proved to be money very well spent. He has been a constant during their nine consecutive title wins and three straight trebles. “I worked with Paul McStay who was a classy player, but Scott Brown is an absolute inspiration,” said Craig Brown.
Billy McNeill is and always will be Celtic’s greatest ever captain. Scott Brown is not far behind.
Steven Davis, Roy Keane, Graeme Souness, Murdo MacLeod, Ray Wilkins, Rino Gattuso.