Latest news with #HenrikLarsson
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
On this day: Celtic sign Larsson
On 25 July 1997 Celtic signed striker Henrik Larsson from Dutch side Feyenoord with little knowledge of just how monumental an impact the Swede would have. Larsson followed manager Wim Jansen to Glasgow as Celtic were preparing try to stop Rangers from winning a 10th successive title. And the Sweden striker helped his side do just that. Despite not getting off to the best start - including scoring an own goal in his first European outing - Larsson went on to score 19 goals in his debut season in Glasgow and inspire Celtic to their first league title in a decade. Larsson would go on to make over 300 appearances in the hoops, scoring 242 goals - including 15 against Rangers. He was a driving force in Celtic's run to the Uefa Cup final in 2003, two years after helping them to a domestic treble, and won four league titles, two League Cups and two Scottish Cups before joining Barcelona. When that departure finally came in 2004, it was clear Larsson had cemented himself as a Celtic legend.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
On this day: Celtic sign Larsson
On 25 July 1997 Celtic signed striker Henrik Larsson from Dutch side Feyenoord with little knowledge of just how monumental an impact the Swede would followed manager Wim Jansen to Glasgow as Celtic were preparing try to stop Rangers from winning a 10th successive the Sweden striker helped his side do just that. Despite not getting off to the best start - including scoring an own goal in his first European outing - Larsson went on to score 19 goals in his debut season in Glasgow and inspire Celtic to their first league title in a would go on to make over 300 appearances in the hoops, scoring 242 goals - including 15 against Rangers. He was a driving force in Celtic's run to the Uefa Cup final in 2003, two years after helping them to a domestic treble, and won four league titles, two League Cups and two Scottish Cups before joining that departure finally came in 2004, it was clear Larsson had cemented himself as a Celtic legend.
Scottish Sun
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Scots music icon brought in to promote new Celtic away kit along with Hoops legends but fans spot ‘colour issue' in kit
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CELTIC have enlisted the help of some heavy hitters when it comes to promoting their new black away strip. The Hoops released their new Adidas design this morning at 8am, with heroes such as Henrik Larsson, John Collins and Charlie Mulgrew featuring in the trailer. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 6 Hoops heroes Charlie Mulgrew and John Collins Credit: X @CelticFC 6 Bobby Gillespie features in the kit launch Credit: X @CelticFC 6 Henrik Larsson with Bobby Gillespie in the video Credit: X @CelticFC With the video played out to the soundtrack of Primal Scream classic 'Movin' on Up', so too is celebrity Celtic fan Bobby Gillespie. He's pictured behind the decks at a party, with Larsson himself getting in on the act. The Larsson connection comes in as the strip is similar to a black and green design which the Swede wore. Filmed in McChuill's pub in Glasgow, it also features current Hoops stars such as Callum McGregor and Kasper Schmeichel. It's a great piece of branding and the reaction to the strip from fans has generally been favourable - although supporters are a little perplexed by the fact that the colours appear somewhat different in the video than they do at the online store. Perhaps it's only to do with the light in the promotional pictures but while the video and promotional images appear to show a green colour with the black strip, the kit appears a far more yellowish shade in the online store. One fan wrote: "Why is it in the online shop in a completely different colour?" A second said: "Looks like green stripes in the images but looks like yellow stripes on the website." A third asked simply: "2 different colours?" That apart, reaction to the kit was largely favourable - even if fans are clearly hoping to see some new signings being paraded in the new design shortly. Inside the Estádio Nacional as Robert Grieve takes you on a tour of the famous venue which hosted Celtic's 1967 European Cup win over Inter Milan One wrote: "The new shirts would go down much better announcing a new player wearing them." Another wrote: "It's a nice strip, would look even better with new signings wearing it." 6 Henrik Larsson checks out a newspaper Credit: X @CelticFC 6 Fans have been perplexed by the two different shades of green which appear on the website 6 Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Glasgow Times
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Celtic reveal new away kit for upcoming season with 90s nod
The strip is mainly black with thin green horizontal stripes. It features the traditional Adidas three stripes on the sleeves, with Dafabet continuing as the sponsor. The design is inspired by away kits from the 1990s. The promotional video features footage of club legend Henrik Larsson, wearing a similar design, scoring a goal. Read more: Larsson also stars in the video, alongside Primal Scream frontman Bobby Gillespie, whose track 'Movin' On Up' provides the soundtrack. Former players John Collins and Charlie Mulgrew, as well as current squad members Callum McGregor, Luke McCowan, and Alistair Johnston, appear in the clip. The club said: "The new Celtic FC x Adidas away kit is revealed today and is available to pre-order before going on sale on Thursday, July 24. everywhere we go 💚 the new Celtic 25/26 away jersey, available 24.07 @adidasfootball — Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) July 15, 2025 "Inspired by iconic '90s away kits, this Adidas away jersey adds its own twist with engineered horizontal pinstripes etched in neon green, while the black base helps to create an elegant, modern interpretation of a classic club look. "Finish off the look with matching black shorts with neon green details, including a sewn-on club badge." The kit is made with moisture-managing AEROREADY technology, ensuring fans stay dry and comfortable. In addition to the away kit, the club has also launched a global training kit. This includes tops, shorts, and jackets in a similar colourway, designed to keep fans warm during chilly away days.
Daily Mail
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL'S 50 BEST IMPORTS: Incredible tale of the Swedish superstar who was so brilliant even Rooney and Ronaldo rose to applaud him
Affirmation of Henrik Larsson's status as a world-class talent became unnecessary long before his seven-year stay at Celtic ended. But two snapshots from his golden years as a footballer underscored the point. The first occurred in Paris in 2006 after his introduction from the bench had swung the Champions League final between Barcelona and Arsenal in the Catalans' favour. Assessing why his side had surrendered a one-goal lead, Thierry Henry looked beyond Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o and pointed towards the sublime contribution of the Swede. The second occurred a year later in the rather less glamorous surroundings of Middlesbrough 's Riverside Stadium. Larsson's final game of a loan spell from Helsingborgs to Manchester United had seen him drop back into midfield to earn his side a hard-fought draw in an FA Cup tie. When he returned to the visiting dressing room, players of the ilk of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Rio Ferdinand stood up and applauded. 'They would say his name in awed tones,' Sir Alex Ferguson revealed. Some 21 years after witnessing his final game in a Celtic jersey, supporters of the Parkhead club still speak of Larsson in the same way. Even in a team brimming with brilliance on the watch of Martin O'Neill, his talent was exceptional. His inclusion in the pantheon of Celtic's all-time greats is as sure as the outcome witnessed whenever he saw the whites of a goalkeeper's eyes. As impressive as they are, the prosaic facts from those seven years in Glasgow's East End only offer a rough outline of Larsson's credentials. He won four titles, two League Cups, two Scottish Cups and was the top scorer in the SPL in five seasons. There were 242 goals in 315 appearances. Some 53 of those arrived in season 2000-01 as Celtic won the Treble and he beat Hernan Crespo to Europe's Golden Boot. His life story and career were punctuated by adversity and toil. The son of a Cape Verdean father, he was subjected to racism growing up. He went on trial to Benfica as a teenager but couldn't sign due a limit on the number of foreigners. He returned home and made ends meet by loading boxes of fruit onto delivery vans. Celtic, too, had its challenges for the Swede. He famously endured a nightmarish debut at Easter Road, gifting the ball to Chic Charnley as Hibs beat the visitors on the opening day of 1997-98. A few weeks later, he came off second best in a training ground dust-up with Tosh McKinlay. There was a serious leg break in Lyon two years later. Throughout it all, he exuded a steely edge and a redoubtable character, albeit journalists seeking headlines from his interviews invariably left the room disappointed and crestfallen after being subjected to one of his verbal nutmegs. So big was Larsson that his switch from dreadlocks to shaven head made front page news If there was no love affair with the written press, the reasons behind the one he had with Celtic and the club's fanbase did not require much investigation. Across four years, he had been unhappy, unloved and unwanted at Feyenoord. Wim Jansen had been the technical director in his time at Rotterdam and, for the princely sum of £650,000, the new Celtic manager changed everything in his world. Larsson had numerous offers to leave Parkhead sooner than he did — Manchester United being one of them. But he eschewed them all, valuing what he had in Glasgow above an extra 15 grand a week. Many players with a fraction of his ability would have gone for the money and left without so much as a backwards glance. 'This is my club,' he said. 'I've played with a few teams, but I made myself as a player at Celtic. 'I'll be eternally grateful to Celtic because they took a chance on me when other clubs didn't. It was here where I became recognised as a player. 'I didn't feel I needed to go somewhere else. I didn't become a superstar at Barcelona. I became a superstar at Celtic.' Larsson was in Glasgow long enough to witness the landscape of Scottish football evolve beyond all recognition. Larsson does his famous tongue-out celebration after another goal for the Parkhead side Having famously helped prevent Rangers from winning 10-in-a-row in his first season, he was powerless to prevent the Ibrox club bouncing back to win five trophies out of six under the free-spending reign of Dick Advocaat. But the appointment of O'Neill in 2000 changed everything. As well as Larsson, the Northern Irishman inherited players of the ilk of Lubomir Moravcik and Stiliyan Petrov before augmenting them with names including Chris Sutton, Alan Thompson, John Hartson and Neil Lennon. By common consent, a 6-2 thrashing of Rangers in August 2000 was the day the balance of power shifted. Larsson's outrageous chip over Stefan Klos was the defining moment. 'Not only was he as brave as a lion, not only was he a terrific footballer and a goal-getter, but he was so graceful as well,' said O'Neill. In time, Sutton would put Larsson above Alan Shearer in terms of the best strikers he'd played beside. Zlatan Ibrahimovic claimed his compatriot could have featured for any club in Europe. Even the most technically gifted Celtic player of that era marvelled at how magnificent the side's No7 had become. 'This sounds like a cliche,' Moravcik said. 'But the thing with Henrik was, he didn't have one point or one trait that he excelled in, because he excelled in them all. There was no one trait he was good at in isolation. 'He was fast, he had a brilliant touch, he could play with his left foot and his right foot and his head. His vision was fantastic. His passing was fantastic. His intelligence and understanding of the game were fantastic. 'He could score free-kicks, penalties and, of course, goal after goal in open play. He was the complete striker.' Lennon, the midfield rock in that all-conquering side fully, fully agreed. Larsson kisses the Champions League trophy after his vital contribution in beating Arsenal Larsson's command performance for Manchester United in an FA Cup tie with Middlesbrough earned him a standing ovation from Rooney and Ronaldo 'The guy had everything,' he said. 'He was world class. Every time you sat in the dressing room, you would look at him and just know you had a chance in the game because he could score with either foot. He was unbelievable in the air. 'He used to hang like Cristiano Ronaldo, bearing in mind he wasn't a particularly tall guy and didn't have rippling shoulder muscles.' Larsson's soaring popularity around that time was illustrated by the fact that his decision to chop off his dreadlocks — 'inspired by Ruud Gullit and Bob Marley' — made front page news in Scotland. Those supporters of opposing teams hoping that, just like Samson, he would also lose his power, were to be sorely disappointed. He hit 35, 44 and 41 goals in his remaining three seasons. Having scored the late winner away to Boavista in the semi-final of the 2003 UEFA Cup, he claimed a double in the final against Porto, only to see the side come up just short in extra-time. 'We were an excellent team,' he later recalled. 'We beat Blackburn and Liverpool on the way. 'I still haven't gotten over that one. I wish I had done more, because I know how much it meant to the Celtic fans.' The truth was that he could not have given more — not only on that balmy May night in Andalusia but throughout his storied time at the club. As sorrowful as the parting was a year later, Celtic supporters could take solace from the fact that Larsson's brilliance dazzled them for quite as long as it did. They won't see his like again. 'How can I regret that?' he recently said. 'The career I had at Celtic, the amount of goals and assists and the relationship with the fans and the club, I can't regret that. 'That's something I'm going to cherish as long as I live.'
