THE FRENCH EVOLUTION
CELTIC’S three musketeers kept the celebrations low key after flying the French flag over Ibrox but there may have been a fair few folk getting plastered in Paris.
Old Firm heroes Odsonne Edouard, Moussa Dembele and Olivier Ntcham were the toast of the green half of Glasgow after dishing out a dose of Les Blues to Rangers on Sunday.
Dembele plundered another derby goal, Ntcham ran the show and Edouard stole the thunder with his sensational winner as the 10 men took a huge step to making it seven Premiership crowns on the spin.
Hoops fans have been raving about the Parkhead French revolution and it has not gone unnoticed back in their hometown after a video of the three of them celebrating Sunday’s thrilling 3-2 triumph in the car went viral.
The trio were brought up in Paris and it didn’t take long for word to travel back about the French foreign legion in Scotland.
The Eiffel Tower wasn’t quite lit up green, white and gold but the family back home could have floated to the viewing platform without the need of the lift.
Edouard said: “After the victory we all celebrated together in the changing room and then later that night I had some dinner with my friends. But I didn’t do anything too special.
“I had some friends at the game in the stadium but all my family and friends were back in Paris and watching the match on TV.
“I spoke to my parents, as I do after every match, and they were delighted for me and very proud.”
Edouard has had to bide his time at Celtic since his summer loan switch from PSG but there has never been much doubt about his ability.
Dembele has already secured hero status at the club while Ntcham is on his way after finding his feet following a period of adjustment to the madcap Scottish game.
Edouard is coming up the rails and the £7million option to buy him out his PSG contract has gone from looking a hefty outlay to the potential bargain of the year. Celtic have yet to decide whether to pony up but the striker is in no doubt Sunday’s big moment is the highlight of his fledgling career.
Edouard said: “I’m delighted about the victory. What was important for me is it was my first derby.
“So to score the winner was special, which brings me a lot of happiness, and I’m particularly pleased for the team.
“I’m a striker so any time I get a goal I’m really happy. It was a very important game and one of our biggest matches of the season so I was thrilled to score.”
Edouard’s goal in Govan was made in France with Dembele brilliantly sending his team-mate clear.
The spin and the finish had the Broomloan going ballistic but the hitman was happy to share the praise.
It was a bold move by Brendan Rodgers throwing on the attacker when Celts were a man down but Edouard was confident his partnership with his pal would pay off to produce a goal he’ll never forget.
He said: “The manager told me I was going up front with Moussa. We have played together before so we have a good understanding and the manager encouraged me and gave me the confidence to go and make a difference.
“It was a quick attack. And the moment Moussa got the ball I knew he was going to give me a perfect pass.
“I received the ball, dribbled past one defender and then just put it into the net. Without doubt it’s the greatest moment of my life as a footballer so far.
“I will always remember this big moment for the rest of my career.
“The Celtic fans were exceptional – as they always are – and to be able to give them such joy is just amazing.”
Edouard couldn’t shift the grin from his face at the end – and he earned an extra special bear hug from his skipper.
Scott Brown dragged his side to victory and then gave the 20-year-old frontman a slap in the back.
And the French lad insisted the captain has played a major role in helping him find his feet on foreign soil.
Edouard said: “He’s the leader of the team and he encourages us in every training session and in every single match we play.
“He was very happy after the game and he congratulated us all then he congratulated me as well.
“He will continue to lead the team for a long time.
“After the red card we were stronger mentally and we showed we were together even more and that helped us achieve the victory.”
Edouard’s team-mate Kieran Tierney admitted the ice-cool hitman was a quiet assassin after the game. The left-back said: “Odsonne came into the dressing room after the match when everyone was buzzing and he was still his usual quiet self. “I am sure he was thrilled with the goal but he is a big calm lad and he just came strolling into the dressing room after the game. “We were delighted for him. It was a really brilliant finish – and a great pass from Moussa to put him through. “The goal just underlined our belief. Even when we went to 10 men we wanted to win it. We knew we needed everyone to fight for every ball but we still had that drive and confidence to go and get the goal. “The quality in the goal just showed what we have.” Tierney knows Celtic have a trio of French fancies who leave rivals looking Les Miserables.