With the close season upon us and the Scottish Premiership title safely back at Paradise, we can reflect on how impressive Ange’s debut season has been. The Australian came in and took Celtic from 25 points behind to winning a double (whilst rebuilding an impressive team).
With Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton leaving this summer, just Callum McGregor and James Forrest remain as players that were a big part of the 9IAR run which saw Celtic match their own record from 1974.
This series will look at players that were easily forgotten during the 9IAR run. The 2011/12 entry is Mo Bangura.
In August 2011, Celtic paid £2.2m for the Sierra Leonean striker from Swedish side AIK amidst rumours that Henrik Larsson had tipped the club to sign him.
Bangura arrived saying he wanted to ‘follow in Larsson’s footsteps’ and see where the move would take him, mentioning moves to England and Italy before he’d kicked a ball for Celtic.
Neil Lennon looked to the young striker to break into the team and compete with the formidable trio of Stokes, Hooper and Samaras. However, Bangura never got near them.
In his handful of appearances, Bangura appeared to struggle with 16 appearances and just one assist to show for it. Not the efforts of a star striker destined for the top.
Bangura’s season was ended abruptly by a knee injury but he was part of the squad that won the first title of Celtic’s 9IAR.
Despite having his contract terminated in 2014, Bangura was at the centre of a public defiance against Celtic when he decided to play against Celtic for loan club Elfsborg in the Champions League qualifiers. Bangura was booed by the support as he actively tried to knock the club out of the Champions League.
These arrived at The Celtic Star HQ yesterday morning and have now been posted out along with copies of the Harry Hood biography or the story of the Invincible season. These t-shirts are NOT going on sale, instead they come FREE when you order a copy of the relevant book from Celtic Star Books, link below. Choose from Invincible – The Story of that remarkable 2016/17 season or Harry Hood – Twice as Good, the official biography of the Celtic legend. Get your brilliant book and collectors item t-shirt from Celtic Star Books, links at bottom of page…
GET YOUR INVINCIBLE AND TWICE AS GOOD T-SHIRTS NOW FREE WITH MATT CORR’S BRILLIANT CELTIC BOOKS
You want one of these? It’s completely FREE when you purchase INVINCIBLE or TWICE AS GOOD* from Celtic Star Books website, just click on the t-shirt below to order your copy and when you do select the BOOK you want then add the T-SHIRT SIZE you require from small, medium, large, XL or XXL, adding that after your name so we’ll know which size to send you…
*£1 from every copy of Twice as Good will be donated to Marie Curie in memory of Harry Hood and in line with the wishes of the Hood family.
