DAVIE HAY has hit back at claims made by former Celtic scout Andy Ritchie that he was the man responsible for bringing the Three Amigos – Pierre van Hooijdonk, Jorge Cadete and Paolo Di Canio to Celtic.
Speaking to The Scottish Sun journalist Alex Gordon, the Celtic Ambassador, was very clear that it was him who was responsible for bring these three high profile stars to Parkhead. Hay of course was back at Celtic as Chief Scout working under the new manager Tommy Burns.
“I had travelled to Holland a few times around the period we bought Pierre because Dutch football was at a very good standard and there were players who could be bought for reasonable fees,” Davie Hay explained.
“I took in a NAC Breda game one afternoon and Pierre was outstanding. You couldn’t possibly miss him because he was about 6ft 5in, but he was very skilful on the ground with the ball at his feet. He ticked all the boxes.
“I made another trip to see Pierre in action against Heerenveen and that helped me make up my mind. I had noted in previous games that he never wasted a direct free-kick. He may not always have scored, but he always hit the target.
“It was an extra in his weaponry and I was impressed. I advised Tommy Burns to sign him and we duly did,” he said.
So if that’s the background story to Big Pierre’s arrival at Celtic, what was the situation regarding Cadete?
“Next to join us was Portuguese international striker Jorge Cadete and if Pierre thought he had made an instant hit with the support he had nothing on Jorge,” Davie said. “He came on as a second-half substitute against Aberdeen in a league game on 1 April, 1996 and scored after only FIFTEEN seconds.”
Hay explained how an agent had given him a video showcasing the player and he immediately liked what he saw.
“He had been in dispute with Sporting Lisbon and could be had at a reasonable fee. I had seen him before, of course, and I recall him scoring two goals against Scotland in a European Championship game in Lisbon in 1993.
“I knew he was electric in the box and would score goals in any company. I telephoned Sir Bobby Robson, the former England international boss who had been Cadete’s gaffer for a spell at Sporting Lisbon, to get my card marked.
“Bobby didn’t hesitate in recommending the player. ‘He’s a top quality striker,’ said Bobby and that was fair enough testimony for me.”
So that’s Pierre and Cadete cleared up – what about that mad Italian Di Canio?
“Paolo joined in the summer of 1996 for a cut-price £1million from AC Milan and I had taken the trip to watch him in the flesh in a UEFA Cup quarter-final tie against Bordeaux in France.
“Milan, with players such as Franco Baresi, George Weah and Paolo Maldini in the team, were 2-0 up after the first leg at the San Siro. Di Canio came into the team for the return and the French, with Zinidine Zidane orchestrating everything, fought back to win 3-2 on aggregate.
“You would be forgiven for thinking that might have put me off the Italian, but, in fact, it had the opposite effect. His team-mates thought they were coasting, but his attitude was absolutely right. He displayed a lot of determination and ability.
“He was cajoling his colleagues throughout, but, alas for Paolo, they were not responding. His attitude won me over. I would be recommending we sign him.
And in another article, by a different journalist, Hay expands on the story about signing Pierre van Hooijdonk by revealing he was there looking a different striker and he could have ended up signing both.
“I was looking at another Dutch striker at Twente Enschede at the time. His name? Michael Mols who, of course, did eventually come to Glasgow – to sign for Rangers.
At that time, though, Celtic had the choice between these players.
“I made another trip to see Pierre in action against Heerenveen and that helped me make up my mind,” Hay concluded.
