IT seems like a lifetime ago since that fateful night in 2012 when the stars aligned for Celtic as they beat Barcelona 2-1 on their 125th birthday.
The team that night will go down into Celtic and footballing folklore. A team from Scotland stood up to a Barcelona side at the peak of its powers and won the day.
There was heroes all over the park that night, the resolute, compact defending. The organisational skills of a midfield determined not to be broken down and attacking minded players when the chances came.
But where is that team now?
Only one man remains from the pre-game squad photo on that cold, crisp night in November.
Mikael Lustig the sole survivor as the rest have moved on – to bigger and better bank balances.
Tony Watt, the hero of the night who was not on from the start has also left the Celtic building, leaving Lustig the only real last link between Celtic of now and that famous game.
With age not on his side, it’s only a matter of time before one becomes none.
Some unlikely heroes in that photo – Miku being the obvious one that some may not have been able to name with jus the photo alone.
Matthews was excellent, Wanyama was a leader and even Efe kept it simple in the pursuit of a result.
It’s certainly not the most famous Celtic side ever, but this picture will be forever etched on the history of Celtic.
A Neil Lennon led side, did what many believed to be the impossible.
It’s nights that Celtic fans live for.
The Bench from that night.
Łukasz Załuska (GK)
Paddy McCourt
John Herron
Tony Watt
Beram Kayal
Marcus Fraser
Dylan McGeouch
Still deaf now, after all the fans celebrated TOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNYÝYYYYYY WHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSS goal to make it TWO – NIL Then Messi’s goal, a twenty second break to get oor breath back. Then non stop cheers and adulation until the end.
Can’t buy that kind of atmosphere, long live the Hoops twelth man HH.