The Hoops, who paid tribute to Billy McNeill, ran out 1-0 winners over Kilmarnock in Saturday’s Scottish Premiership match at Parkhead.
Celtic paid tribute to their 1967 European Cup-winning captain Billy McNeill in Saturday’s Scottish Premiership game against Kilmarnock and the winner could not have been more fitting.
The legendary Lisbon Lion, who played for the Hoops between 1957 and 1975 and also had two spells managing the club, passed away earlier this week aged 79.
Ahead of the game, Celtic interim boss Neil Lennon and captain Scott Brown laid a wreath at McNeill’s statue and the crowd burst into a rendition of the Celtic Song.
With McNeill’s former Lisbon Lions teammates in attendance, a minute’s applause was held before kickoff, video tributes were shown, and Celtic’s players wore black armbands bearing the number five.
Jozo Simunovic, who wears the number five jersey once graced by the former Hoops defender and manager, scored the winning goal on the day, heading home just after the clock had ticked past the 67-minute mark.
Speaking after the game, the Croatian told the Celtic media team of the goal: “My favourite moment in a Celtic jersey.
“My first thought was being surprised when I seen so many fans off the bus, I couldn’t have imagined something like that. That made me give even more in this game. I believed it was going to be a special day.”
The Hoops Twitter account posted Simunovic’s quote and some Bhoys fans responded:
The win for Celtic means they will be crowned champions should Rangers fail to beat Aberdeen on Sunday.
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