NEIL LENNON utilised 17 players on the day Celtic claimed a unique place in Scottish football history by sealing the phenomenal quadruple treble.
On December 20 2022, the Hoops claimed their TWELFTH successive domestic trophy when they overcame Hearts 4-3 on penalty-kick following a dramatic 3-3 extra-time stalemate at a Covid-enforced empty Hampden.
Amazingly, only six of the number who performed that momentous afternoon at the national stadium are still at the club – and three haven’t figured this season following loan deals.
WINNER…the sign says it all as Neil Lennon prepares to take his place among the celebrating Celtic players at the end of a memorable occasion at Hampden on December 20 2020.
Even the manager made way after his quickfire exit on February 24 2021, just 48 hours after a 1-0 loss against relegation-threated Ross County in Dingwall. Lennon, 51, took over Cypriot club Omonia Nicosia in March last year, but was sacked eight months later.
So, where are the 17 players who performed their part in a milestone in Celtic history that will surely never be surpassed?
In another CQN EXCLUSIVE, we provide the answers.
CONOR HAZARD
The 24-year-old beanpole keeper returned to Celtic just before the turn of the year after his season-long loan period at Finnish champions HJK Helsinki. The Hampden hero is coming out of contract and there is every likelihood he will move on.
Hazard is currently No.4 in the pecking order behind Joe Hart, Benji Siegrist and Scott Bain.
KRISTOFFER AJER
The Norwegian international defender, 25, quit Celtic in the summer of 2021 for Brentford in a £13million move. He was signed by Ronny Deila from FK Start in January 2016.
He played 176 games for the club and scored six goals, not including his thumping penalty-kick against Hearts to clinch the twelfth successive domestic trophy.
SHANE DUFFY
The 31-year-old Republic of Ireland centre-back endured a disastrous loan season from Brighton at his boyhood favourites. He joined Fulham on another temporary contract last August.
UP FOR THE CUP…matchwinner Christopher Jullien holds aloft the League Cup in December 2019. He returned to Hampden a year later to celebrate the Hoops’ twelfith successive domestic trophy triumph.
CHRISTOPHER JULLIEN
The French defender, 30, joined French top-flight outfit Montpellier in an £870,000 switch in summer. He cost Neil Lennon £7million when he joined from Toulouse in June 2019. He scored the League Cup winner against Steven Gerrard’s side in December that year.
He spent a season out with a complicated knee injury following a collision with a goalpost and made only one appearance for Ange Postecoglou as a substitute in a 4-0 Scottish Cup win against Raith Rovers in February last year.
GREG TAYLOR
The left-back, 25, has been rejuvenated since the arrival of Postecoglou and a switch in the team’s system. Scored his first goal for the Hoops in the Scottish Cup semi-final last season and claimed the winner against Hearts in a 4-3 thriller at Tynecastle on October 24.
RYAN CHRISTIE
Left for Bournemouth in a £3million switch in August 2021 with only six months remaining on his Hoops contract. The 28-year-old midfielder, who was signed from Inverness Caley Thistle in September 2015, opened the scoring against Hearts in December 2020, but was denied in the penalty-kick shoot-out by former Parkhead colleague Craig Gordon.
TWENTY-TWO AND OUT…skipper Scott Brown gets his hands on the newly-won 2020 Scottish Cup, his last honour as a Celtic player.
SCOTT BROWN
The inspirational Celtic skipper won his 22nd and final honour against the Tynecastle club. He left at the end of his contract at the completion of the dismal 2020/21 campaign to reunite with his ex-Hibs team-mate Stephen Glass as player-coach at Aberdeen.
It turned out to be a nightmare period with the Dons boss sacked after a Scottish Cup loss to Motherwell and the Hoops legend released shortly after Jim Goodwin’s introduction. Now 37, the fans’ favourite has just spent a season as a first-time manager in charge of English League One side Fleetwood Town.
DAVID TURNBULL
The 23-year-old midfielder showed some quality touches against the Edinburgh outfit to emphasise he was worth the £2.75million fee paid to Motherwell for his services in August 2020. Injury has hampered his progress and he has become a bit-part player under Ange at the champions.
CALLUM McGREGOR
The 29-year-old anchorman and onfield leader of the side played the entire 120 minutes against Hearts and also slotted away his penalty-kick in the shoot-out. Took over the captain’s armband from his friend and colleague Brown and is now pivotal to Postecoglou’s plans.
MOHAMED ELYOUNOUSSI
The Norwegian international forward, 28, ended his two-year loan spell at Celtic in the summer of 2021 just before the arrival of Postecoglou. He lasted 82 minutes against Robbie Neilson’s team before being replaced.
He returned to Southampton and became a first-team regular, but has just suffered the disappointment of relegation from the top flight.
GREEN FOR JOY…celebrating Celts after the penalty-jick shoot-out succes are Ryan Christie, Christopher Jullien, Tom Rogic, Jeremie Frimpong, Diego Laxalt and Ismaila Soro.
ODSONNE EDOUARD
The flamboyant Frenchman was at his most frustrating self against the Edinburgh club. He netted a penalty-kick to make it 2-0 – and provoked ex-mate Craig Gordon into throwing the ball at him during his celebrations which earned the keeper a yellow card from referee John Beaton.
The 25-year-old striker, who cost £9million when he signed a permanent deal from Paris Saint-Germain in June 2017, was hooked nine minutes into extra-time. Joined Crystal Palace for £19.8million in the summer of 2021, but has failed to become a top-side regular.
SUBSTITUTES
DIEGO LAXALT
Replaced Taylor in 82 minutes, the 30-year-old AC Milan loanee failed to make the breakthrough at Parkhead and was returned to the Serie A outfit at the end of the season. Joined Dinamo Moscow later that summer.
MIKEY JOHNSTON
Replaced Duffy in 91 minutes, the former Scotland Under-21 winger, now 24, has just spent the season on loan at Portuguese top-flight outfit Vitoria Guimaraes. The Glaswegian switched international allegiances to make his debut with the Republic of Ireland in a 3-2 win over Latvia in March. He still has three years to run on his Hoops contract.
ISMAILA SORO
Replaced Brown in 106 minutes, the Ivorian anchorman also spent the campaign in Portugal on a temporary transfer with Arouca. Like Johnston, the 25-year-old midfielder, who was signed by Neil Lennon from Israeli club Bnei Yehuda in January 2020, will return in the summer, but his future at Parkhead is far from assured.
ROARING SUCCESS…Tom Rogic yells in triumph after netting the Scottish Cup winner against Aberdeen in May 2017. He was also dancing with joy at the same venue in December 2020.
TOM ROGIC
Replaced Turnbull in 68 minutes, the Wizard of Oz was a great favourite of the Parkhead faithful before leaving last summer after nine and a half years in Glasgow. The ball-playing Australian international, 30, joined Championship side West Brom, but is a free agent again after being released by the Midlands club.
JEREMIE FRIMPONG
Replaced Elyounoussi in 82 minutes, an instant hero with the Hoops support after his cut-price £1million arrival from Manchester City in September 2019. The lively right-back had an unforgettable afternoon in the League Cup Final against the Ibrox opposition in December that year.
The Dutch-born defender was red-carded on the hour mark with Steven Gerrard’s side awarded a penalty-kick. Fraser Forster saved from Alfredo Morelos and Frimpong picked up his first medal. Left the Hoops in a £11.8million deal for Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen in January 2021. Has been linked recently with a return to the UK at Manchester United.
LEIGH GRIFFITHS
Replaced Edouard in 99 minutes, the 32-year-old striker, who netted the third goal at Hampden among the 123 strikes for Celtic in his seven and a half years in Glasgow, is now playing in Australia with semi-professional side Mandurrah City. He never made a competitive appearance following the arrival of Postecoglou and had a disappointing six-month loan spell at Dundee at the start of the 2021/22 campaign.
His contract was scrapped by the champions in January last year and he joined third-tier Falkirk a month later. He was released at the end of the term and trained at Livingston before his return Down Under.