Inside new Celtic star's chats with Lisbon Lion John Clark and their shared love of Tunnock's Teacakes

Scottish Sun

9 hours ago

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ROSS DOOHAN loved listening to John Clark's stories when he was at Celtic as a youngster.
He's just gutted he won't be able to do the same now he's back at Parkhead.
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Ross Doohan rejoined Celtic from Aberdeen this week
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
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The goalkeeper has opened up about his memories of John Clark
Credit: Kenny Ramsay
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The European Cup hero-turned-kitman was an inspiration to Doohan and others
Credit: SNS
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They often enjoyed a sweet treat together
The keeper came through the Hoops ranks before leaving three years ago.
But Scotland cap Doohan returned earlier this week as he replaced Scott Bain as Brendan Rodgers' third-choice keeper behind Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo.
The 27-year-old goalie spoke of his pride at being back at the club he has always supported.
But there was also a deep sadness at the passing of Lisbon Lion Clark at the age of 84 just 24 hours earlier.
Former defender Clark will forever be a club legend for his feats as a player.
But by the time Doohan and his academy team-mates got to know him he was the club's kitman.
He knows now how cherished those dressing-room conversations were, both in terms of getting to know a man who was so humble and the calibre of club they were playing for.
Doohan said: 'I was speaking to my dad about this. When I was younger I'd come in with cakes and it would be John and Hugh McGovern, Steve Wright and Hugh Hoolihan in the kit room.
'I used to spend hours in there after training, just sitting and talking to them.
'Sometimes I'd bring Tunnock's teacakes in, sometimes it was caramel wafers. Then I'd sit and have a chat with John and the other kitmen.
The diggers move in as Celtic Park pitch is dug up
'I'd do it from when I first went in full-time at 16 until I was 23.
'I'd always seen John in and about Lennoxtown and about the stadium.
'There were always wee stories, but he didn't speak to you about football. It was more like what you were like as a person, which I think is more important.
'He would talk about working hard and your attitude and everything.
'But John was always the type of person who'd see himself as a normal person, too. You'd never think he was a Lisbon Lion in the way he acted.
'But everybody knew he'd won the European Cup, so he always had the respect of everybody at the club.
'What he's done in the game for this club is massive and he will never be forgotten. It's just such a shame.
'He was a massive part of the club. I don't think he realised how big an influence he had on so many people here. That's including me and all the youth team when I was here.
'He was just such a great person to have around.
'He was just a great guy, someone with great charisma.
'It was devastating to hear about John because he's such a legend and he's such a big part of this club. It's a huge loss.
'My deepest condolences go to his family, because it's obviously not nice news to hear at all.'
Doohan isn't the first product of the club's academy to leave and then return at a later date.
Charlie Mulgrew did it in 2010 four years after leaving for Wolves and Kieran Tierney completed his journey back earlier this summer after six years at Arsenal.
In his first spell, Doohan had seven loan spells before moving on to Tranmere and then Forest Green Rovers.
After that came two years at Aberdeen, where he secured game time last season.
Earlier this month he dashed from his sun lounger to answer Steve Clarke's Scotland SOS and earn a last-minute debut in the friendly against Liechtenstein as keepers fell like flies.
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But the boyhood Celtic fan jumped at the chance of a second spell in the Hoops — and it was all the sweeter for the amount of hard work he's put in since he's been away.
He added: 'This means a lot. I feel like I grew up here, but I also knew I probably had to leave when I did. It was the best thing for me at that time.
'You can only play one goalkeeper in a team and I felt I had to go out and play.
'The loan spells when I was here put me in great stead, then when I went away permanently I got a lot of game time.
'That's stood me in good stead to come back, so I'm absolutely buzzing.
'The phone call with my agent lasted two minutes when he said Celtic were interested. He asked whether I'd be interested in coming back.
'I think I answered 'Yeah!' before he'd even finished the question.
'Coming from the youth system here and being from Glasgow, I know how big the club is. I moved school for the club, my family are all Celtic fans and it's just a great honour to be back.
'It was always a pull when I left here, always a dream to come back.
'I spent a lot of my life here. I know what's expected of being a Celtic player.
'Winning games is great, but the way you conduct yourself and the way you come across is very important, too.
'Knowing the club and knowing the size of it maybe makes it a bit easier for me coming in because I've had that previous experience.'
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