Chris Sutton is very much a well-known figure in Scottish Football these days. Whether people choose to remember him from his time at Celtic or his TV punditry – he is undoubtedly a character within the game.
Of course, it all started for Sutton in Scotland when he made the move north of the border from Chelsea to Celtic in 2000 under Martin O’Neill, and the rest is history.
Speaking on Open Goal, the Englishman opened up on moving to Celtic and revealed the funny details behind the first conversation he held with legendary manager O’Neill as the Northern Irishman convinced him to join the club.
He said: “I met Martin O’Neill in a hotel in Beaconsfield.
“I could’ve gone to Spurs, could’ve gone to Middlesbrough with Bryan Robson, who was the manager, and then I met Martin.
“He actually sorted of slaughtered us for five minutes, but then he got us onside and basically told me how bad I was at Chelsea but that he’d followed my career closely and admired me. I was nearly sick when he said that!
“He talked about his thoughts for Celtic, how they were building, and he was going to bring players in and that I should give it a go.
“I always liked Martin from afar; being a Nottingham Forest fan when I was little, I had followed him and his management past.”
The days of Martin O’Neill as manager with players like Sutton in the side are fond memories for many Celtic supporters.
From trebles to the run to the UEFA Cup final in Sevilla, it was definitely a good time to be involved with the club, and fans will continue to look back at those days for years to come.
You can watch the whole interview on the Open Goal YouTube channel for more stories like this, as Sutton opens up and tells some hilarious details from his time with the Hoops.
