Former Celtic Hero Recalls Battering Rangers 5-1

JOHAN MJALLBY has spoken about his Celtic debut and how he was scared to touch the ball for the first ten minutes of the Glasgow Derby.

The big Swede had just come into the club under Jo Venglos and didn’t even expect to be in the team – he was planning on being back in Sweden tying up loose ends when the game was going on!

However, after speaking with Jo Venglos and getting some training at Barrowfield under his belt the player found out he was in the starting XI much to Johan’s shock.

The big man was being played in a position which was foreign to him at the time with Johan used to defensive midfield. The former Celtic star told how the game started and his first touch was atrocious, the atmosphere had got to him. But it was all about to change!

Johan recalls Jorge Albertz bearing down on the ball but he was also in a position to try and snatch possession back for Celtic. He went through Albertz in a crunching tackle and came away with possession! After that he was in full control and helped Celtic to a famous 5-1 victory!

“The game started and the first 10 minutes I have to admit I was s**t scared. The atmosphere – I was hiding, I didn’t want the ball, my first touch was atrocious.” Johan told OpenGoal Sports.

“But 10 minutes into the game I saw Jorg Albertz, he had the ball, I was going into midfield from the centre half position and it was a 50/50 situation.

“I’d had a poor start to the game and I really had to win this … BANG! It was 50/50, a crunching tackle made by both of us but there was only one man left standing. That was me.

“I could hear the fans cheering me and that lifted me. From that moment on I never looked back.

“The game ended 5-1 to us.”