Henrik Larsson will forever be remembered as one of the greatest Celtic players of all time, there’s absolutely no debate to be had there.
The legendary Swedish striker was a goal machine personified and his knack of finding the net had Hoops supporters purring over his displays for years.
He joined the Parkhead giants in 1997 from Dutch side Feyenoord and went on to score an incredible 242 goals in 315 appearances across seven years.
Larsson is third on the all-time Celtic top scorers chart behind only Bobby Lennox and Jimmy McGrory – and it’s safe to say he doesn’t look out of place among the Celtic legends of the past.
He won four Scottish Premier League titles, two Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups and you’d have to argue he was the most important key in the cog for those trophy triumphs.
Larsson – nicknamed ‘The King of Kings’ amongst the Celtic faithful – called time on his Hoops career in 2004 when his contract expired.
It paved the way for a move to Spanish giants Barcelona with both Larsson and the Catalans very keen on getting a deal done that summer, as per BBC Sport.
But the former Swedish forward would make a return to Celtic Park sooner than he thought he would when the Bhoys and Barcelona were drawn into the same Champions League group for the 2004/05 season.
And of course, Larsson would come back to haunt his former club with a goal for Barcelona in 82nd minute of the clash at Parkhead.
Larsson ‘stabbed Celtic fans in heart’
Barcelona would win 3-1 on the night with Henrik Larsson sealing three points with the final goal of the match.
Speaking in 2022, 25 years after signing for the Hoops, Larsson looked back on that moment almost with regret given what Celtic had done for him for seven years previously.
He confessed to 11 Freunde via the Daily Record: “For seven years at Celtic Park, they played the theme song of ‘The Magnificent Seven’ after every goal I scored. This time it was dead quiet, some spectators even whistled.
“I would have liked to have sunk into the ground. I owe everything to Celtic. The club paid for my house, made me financially independent and made me the person I am today.
“I loved the Celtic fans and yet that night I stabbed them in the heart with my goal. But at that moment I was a player for FC Barcelona.”
Larsson’s muted celebration
Larsson had previously addressed the goal in an exclusive interview with the Daily Record in 2009 and specifically touched on why he restrained any form of celebration, exemplifying the sheer respect he has for Celtic and the fans.
He told Hugh Keevins: “I had to show respect to the Celtic supporters. It would have been very wrong to run around showing happiness and indulging in excessive celebrations.
“I thought the way I handled the moment was just right. Celtic gave me too much for me to throw it all back in their faces.
“They signed me and prevented me going back to Sweden with my tail between my legs after an unsatisfactory time at Feyenoord.
“There would have been no Barcelona, and a lot of other things besides, for me if I hadn’t signed for Celtic. You don’t just forget these things.”
FOR MORE NEWS CLICK HERE
