CELTIC are enjoying an incredible spell of dominance in Scotland with 12 of the last 13 league titles.
But a former Hoops star has opened up on the attitude at Parkhead at a time when Rangers were top dogs.
Celtic went into the 1987-88 season having not won any trophies the campaign before[/caption]
Mick McCarthy is one of the stars that joined the Hoops that summer[/caption]
Veteran manager Mick McCarthy enjoyed two seasons at Parkhead, winning the league and two Scottish Cups[/caption]
Celtic endured a rare trophyless season in 1986-87, watching as Rangers won a league and League Cup double.
So the attitude going into the 87-88 season would have been Celts having a point to prove – although one of their players from that season has revealed that some were in less serious moods than others.
Mick McCarthy moved to Parkhead in 1987 from Manchester City, going on to win the league and Scottish Cup in the Hoops’ more successful 1987-88 campaign – the season in which the club famously celebrated it’s centenary.
The former Ireland international has told EFL Unfiltered about his experience in Scotland, including the moment he saw an iconic Celtic boss flip his lid.
Reflecting on the most memorable aspect of playing for Celtic, he said: “The different profile it gave me in Ireland, playing in the double [winning] team in 1988 – my profile and popularity, if you were a player in Ireland and playing for Celtic, was huge.
“But the day we were having the team photograph, I realised what I was getting into.
“There’s no trophies in front of us, we’re all sat down and Billy McNeil comes and sits in amongst us.
“One of the lads says ‘Where are all the cups?’, and someone says ‘They’re at Ibrox’.
“You could’ve heard a pin drop.
“Billy McNeil went into one, and rightly so, because we were laughing about not having any silverware in front of us.
“He ripped into us about what it means to be a Celtic player.
“‘You don’t go to St Mirren, and you don’t go to Dundee United and you don’t go to Hearts and get a famous draw.
Iconic ex-Celtic boss Billy McNeill didn’t see the funny side[/caption]
“You go there and you’re expected to win’.
“It was an absolute privilege to play there.”
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