Celtic have recruited remarkably well from abroad over the years.
Celtic’s Shunsuke Nakamura tackled by Manchester United’s Gabriel Heinze in the Champions League
Down the years, Celtic’s foreign recruitment policy has been exceptional, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Vincent Wanyama in particular being sold on for massive fees compared to what they initially signed for.
The Bhoys have had a wealth of foreign talent chip in for their side, including some truly massive names in football, and even now they have an Invincible in Kolo Toure playing for them. Here are five of the best foreign players to represent Celtic in recent times.
Henrik Larsson
Where else could we start? Larsson is easily the best foreign player to don a Celtic shirt, and it’s a shame that he was only fully appreciated for his talents after he left Celtic. The former Sweden international signed for the Bhoys in 1997, and would go on to score 242 goals in 315 games for the club, winning four Scottish Premier League titles, two Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups. Larsson left for Barcelona as the club’s third highest goalscorer, and won the Champions League with the Catalan side. He also joined Manchester United and won the Premier League there, and will go down as one of the best European strikers of his generation.
Stiliyan Petrov – Celtic
Stiliyan Petrov
A vastly underrated midfielder, Petrov’s time at Celtic was hugely successful. After arriving in 1999, the former Bulgaria international initially started out as a right back, and couldn’t speak English. Fans took to Petrov when they saw the lengths he went to in order to learn the language, which saw Petrov working in a burger van with his friend to try and get to grips with it all. On the pitch, Petrov eventually got a chance in his preferred midfield position and excelled, proving to be an excellent box-to-box midfielder and someone integral to Martin O’Neill’s side. In 2006 after 312 appearances and 65 goals, with four Scottish Premier League titles to boot, Petrov left Celtic to reunite with O’Neill at Aston Villa, and became equally as adored there.
Artur Boruc
When people say that goalkeepers are a certain breed, you only have to look at Boruc to know what they mean. To say the Poland international is eccentric would be an understatement, but Boruc was – at times – an outstanding goalkeeper for Celtic, which eventually saw him lured away. The goalkeeper arrived in 2005 on loan initially, but was signed up on a permanent basis later that year. From then, Boruc made 221 appearances for Celtic in all competitions, winning three Scottish Premier League titles, two Scottish League Cups and a Scottish Cup before leaving for Fiorentina in 2010.
Celtic’s Pierre van Hooijdonk in action against Rangers
Pierre van Hooijdonk
The former Netherlands international’s time at Celtic was short, brief and explosive, but certainly unforgettable for those who saw him play. Van Hooijdonk arrived in 1995 from NAC Brada, and started his career with a bang with an excellent goal on his debut against Hearts, and that proved to be the first of many. The powerful striker hit 56 goals in 92 games for Celtic, winning just one Scottish Cup in his time at Parkhead, before controversially departing for Nottingham Forest in 1997.
Shunsuke Nakamura
Still loved by Celtic fans, the attacking midfielder was a stunning acquisition for the side in 2005 from Reggina, with the former Japan international wowing the Celtic faithful during his four year spell at Parkhead. Nakamura was man of the match on his debut despite being unfit, and his creativity and work ethic made him incredibly popular both in the stands and in the dressing room. Technically gifted as well, Nakamura became the first Japanese man to score in the Champions League when he scored a stunning free kick against Manchester United. In 2009, Nakamura left for Espanyol, and scored 34 goals in 166 appearances for Celtic, winning three Scottish Premier League titles.
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