Bad debuts can sometimes prove fatal to a player’s hope of long-term Celtic success. However, one man who disproves this idea is one of the finest players in the club’s history.
Henrik Larsson’s dodgy debut
Henrik Larsson arrived at Celtic Park in 1997. Although he had a reasonable reputation, fans were unsure what to expect and had been used to a series of foreign signings that lacked impact. After his first game, hopes were not raised.
Celtic went to Easter Road for a League game in August 1997. Late in the match, with the scores tied at 1-1, Larsson had the ball and gave it away straight to Hibs’ Chic Charnley. His shot from distance made it 2-1 and gave the Edinburgh side the points.
Things didn’t get better when later that month, Larsson scored an own goal against Celtic during a European tie with Tirol Innsbruck. Still, the Bhoys won that game 6-3 and also went on to win the title. And, of course, Henrik’s amazing contribution to Celtic meant all was very much forgiven by the fans.
Just as many Celtic figures have had debuts to forget, other Bhoys can look back with great fondness on their first time as a Celt. There have been numerous entrances that have seen the player becoming an instant hero to the fans.
