The Celtic Star of the Decade – 2000-2009, The King of Kings, Henrik Larsson

The Celtic Star of the Decade

12. The Celtic Star of the Decade – 2000-2009 – Henrik Larsson…

This man played only four years in the “noughties” decade, but what a four years they were! Although, the late 1960s were the best Celtic TEAM one is ever likely to see, I would have to go for Henrik Larsson as the best PLAYER I have seen.

Significantly in his famous season of 2000/01 when he scored his 50 goals and he with was linked with Jimmy McGrory, no-one argued.

He had everything. In the first place he was a total professional, who trained, worked hard, and never caused trouble.

He also had an astonishing ability to come back from injury – a horrendous broken leg at Lyon in November 1999 knocked him out for the rest of that season (and how we suffered!) but defying all predictions, he was back by next July.

He also sustained a broken jaw in 2003, and recovered more or less within a month. His goalscoring ability was legendary – headers, goals from impossible angles, shots from outside the box, ability to create goals for others and goals that he could score by running more or less half the field e.g, a great goal in the 2001 League Cup final against Kilmarnock even after he had been fouled on the half way line!

And yet he did not start well. We were on our knees when he joined us in 1997, a total unknown signed by the equally little known new Manager Wim Jansen and his first game against Hibs at Easter Road was a defeat.

Things did not look at all good, but soon after that a flying header at McDiarmid Park showed that there was something there. From then on, he never looked back, winning 4 Scottish League medals, 2 Scottish Cup medals and 2 Scottish League Cup medals. It was not his fault that we did not win in Seville. He scored twice.

He played 315 times for Celtic, scored 242 goals and played 106 times for Sweden.

After he left Celtic (to the great distress of all fans) in 2004, he played for Barcelona (winning a European Cup medal) and briefly for Manchester United, but he will always be remembered as Henrik Larsson of Celtic.

It is often said that Celtic need a personality goal scorer. There have been four great strikers, one feels – one from Selkirk and then Edinburgh (Sandy McMahon), one from Croy (Jimmy Quinn), one from Garngad (Jimmy McGrory) and one from Sweden (Henrik Larsson).

He was a superb player, a superb scorer, a superb Celt. He once missed a penalty at Livingston. A fellow supporter turned to me and said “So, he IS human, after all!”

David Potter

Some additional reading about Henrik Larsson on The Celtic Star…

Henrik Larsson? ‘Absolutely world class. A marvellous footballer,’ Martin O’Neill…see HERE.

Celtic on This Day – The Henrik Larsson show, Motherwell 1 Celtic 7…see HERE.

‘I wasn’t really pleased with the answers I got,’ Henrik Larsson on knocking back the Celtic Job…see HERE.

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About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor, who has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

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