7 days ago
I bossed Celtic to one of their worst ever results and this is what Dermot Desmond told me at full time
The Hoops crumbled to a shocking 5-0 defeat away to Slovakian minnows Artmedia Bratislava in 2005
Celtic crashed to one of the most embarrassing defeats in the club's history during Gordon Strachan's first game in charge.
But the ex-Hoops boss ranks it as one of the defining matches that changed his life.
The crestfallen Parkhead side were battered 5-0 in a 2005 Champions League second round qualifier away to Artmedia Bratislava.
It was a horror start to the helm for Strachan, who was already an unpopular choice with supporters to replace the iconic Martin O'Neill.
Celts did come close to completing a remarkable turnaround in the second leg, but fell short by a goal as the Slovakian minnows edged through 5-4 on aggregate.
That saw them tumble out of Europe before the school holidays were even over as Strachan faced immediate heat from the raging green-and-white faithful.
Yet despite a ropey start in the league, the Aberdeen legend managed to steady the ship by leading Celtic to three-in-a-row, two League Cups and a Scottish Cup.
Throw in back-to-back qualification to the Champions League last 16 and Strachan is now fondly remembered by the Celtic fanbase.
Strachan revealed he always had the backing of principal shareholder Dermot Desmond, who made a beeline for the crestfallen boss minutes after the full-time whistle in Bratislava.
Reflecting on the moment that he believes shaped his four years in Glasgow, Strachan told FourFourTwo: "Getting beaten 5-0 in Bratislava in my first game at Celtic, you think you're the worst manager in the world - everybody else did that night!
"Sometimes you think, 'How bad can things get?' On my tombstone, it will say, 'Even this is better than Bratislava.'
"But to achieve anything in life, you have to take a few hits. I remember Dermot Desmond coming down after the game to reassure me that everything would be all right.
"He said, 'You'll only see me when you're needing help.' I didn't see him too often, apart from on the golf course. My time at Celtic was terrific after that."
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