Former Liverpool and Real Madrid striker Michael Owen spoke to Clyde SuperScoreboard ahead of the soccer sixes at the SSE Hydro in January and was asked about some of the best atmospheres he played in and as you would expect, guess who’s top of the list.
Owen has played in some of the best stadiums in the world but when it comes to noise and passion the former striker couldn’t help but point to Celtic Park as ‘one of the best’.
It was back in 1997 when Owen played against Celtic in the UEFA Cup where the two teams went fought it out to a 2-2 draw in Paradise.
Owen even put the noise and passion over and above an El Classico.
“I played against Celtic. It remains probably the best ever atmosphere I’ve played in.” Rodgers told SuperScoreboard as cited on SunSport.
“Games like El Clasico were top notch but the noise in that Uefa Cup game was unbelievable.”
What’s even more impressive about Owen’s claim is that the new Celtic Park re-development was not completed yet and the Jock Stein stand was just a small temporary stand at the time.
Celtic’s goals on the night came from Jackie McNamara and Simon Donnelly.
Unfortunately, Liverpool’s second on the night would be the one which would ultimately put Celtic out. The teams played at Anfield in the return leg and it finished 0-0 on the night with Liverpool going through on away goals.
Incredible to think this was so long ago now. This was fundamentally the side who stopped the ten, cementing their place in Celtic folklore.
