It was just one of his twelve Scottish Premiership hat-tricks for Celtic – but Henrik Larsson added to his remarkable match ball-taking tally on this day 18 years ago for Martin O’Neill’s men.
Larsson, who had starred in Celtic’s superb UEFA Cup campaign just months prior by scoring a brace in the final, started the Scottish Premiership season in the same manner with his eleventh league treble for the club.
Bizarrely, he had done the exact same in another home 5-1 win against Livingston the season earlier; although the goals in this tie were much less important, given the last hat-trick against the Lions wrapped up the 2001-2002 title.
He started proceedings with a dominating header, after a delightful Alan Thompson delivery on the left-flank found Larsson unmarked from eight yards out – which the Swede was always going to punish Livingston for with a strong header.
The second came not long after; some brilliant solo play by Liam Miller found Thompson, whose rasping effort from the edge of the box was saved; although on the line was Shaun Maloney, who rose highest to double the advantage at Parkhead.
Larsson’s second was yet another header; a free-kick found Larsson, and a poor save by the goalkeeper meant that the Swede’s admittedly poor header only just trickled over the line for his second of the day.
And the Swede’s third was the pick of the bunch. Afforded too much space on the edge of the box via a clever John Hartson run, Larsson lashed the ball from 25 yards out – and despite the keeper getting a solid hand to the ball, the strike was too powerful, nesting in the bottom corner to give Larsson his eleventh hat-trick in Celtic colours.
And, for all his efforts, Thompson was rewarded when his low-driven free kick evaded everyone to nestle into the bottom corner – resulting in a comprehensive win for the Celts.
30th August 2003, Celtic 5:1 Livingston.
Larsson(3), Maloney and Thommo. @Alantommo8 pic.twitter.com/VDDrQ9mTQh
— Li’l Ze (@LilZe_7) August 29, 2021
The team that day was:
Hedman, Balde, Varga, McNamara, Agathe, Miller, Lennon, Petrov, Thompson, Larsson, Maloney
Subs: Crainey, Sylla, Hartson, Douglas, Beattie
