25 years since Larsson arrival shook Scotland
It barely seems possible but it will be 25 years tomorrow since Wim Jansen made Henrik Larsson’s the best signing in Celtic’s history.
Murdo MacLeod was assistant to Jansen, who died in January, and watched Larsson blossom into a club legend.
In his f irst season at Parkhead – Jansen and MacLeod’s only campaign in charge – the 25-year-old was the club’s top scorer with 19 goals.
They included one in the League Cup Final win over Dundee United and the vital opener in the leagueclinching victory over St Johnstone that ended Rangers’s 10-in-a-row bid.
But the Swede was just limbering up.
He went on to score 242 goals in 313 appearances for Celt ic. His to ta l would’ve been higher but for a broken l e g su f fered against Lyon i n October 1999 that ruled him out for seven months.
Former Hoops midfielder MacLeod has no problem describing Larsson as the best Celtic player since Kenny Dalglish.
He said: “Celtic have made some great signings over the years and Henrik is up there with the best – in fact, it’s hard to think of anyone who was better.
“Everyone still talks about his last match that season. We had to beat St Johnstone on the final day to clinch the title.
“There were so many fans inside the ground and we were as nervous as they were but Henrik scored a wonder goal af ter two minutes to settle us and we went on to win 2- 0.
“Of course, he wasn’t yet the Henrik Larsson he would become. The fact is that every single season he became better than he’d been the year before.
“He was the kind of player who gave 100 per cent at training as well as games.
“That’s why he had the career he had – he couldn’t have played at such a high level for so long if he hadn’t shown the right attitude and looked after himself.
“He told me early on that he loved living here and he intended staying for six or seven years – and he was as good as his word.
“When Wim and I left after one season he could have been forgiven for saying he was off as well but he had already decided he was happy at Celtic.” Larsson would become Celtic’s t o p European goalscorer with 35 goals and could have had his pick of c lubs in Europe or down south. MacLeod said: “Henrik always did what he said he would do. When he eventually left in 2004 to sign for Barcelona it was because he wanted to win the Champions League – and he came off the bench to set up both their goals when they beat Arsenal 2-1 in the 2006 final.
“Of course, he loved the big occasions – Old Firm games [scoring 15 goals in his 30 derby appearances], European ties, cup finals, international matches, you name it.
“But in spite of the fact he was Celtic’s biggest star he was never a Billy Big Time – he joined in with the rest of the lads at nights out and in the dressing room.
“He could hit the heights but he was always down to earth.”
Celtic’s He was but t star bigges a Billy never was – he Big Time inwith joined lads