Celtic legend Lubo Moravcik discloses Hoops bond with Mark Viduka

By John Reid

October 8, 2020

Lubomir Moravcik has disclosed that one of the Celtic players he was closest to in his time with the Hoops was controversial striker Mark Viduka, the Daily Record reports.

The duo only played together at Celtic for a season and a half. However, Moravcik has revealed that he shared a bond with Viduka. The Croatian striker helped the midfield man learn English.

“A close relationship”

“I was more very close with Mark during his time at Celtic. That was a close relationship. He helped me a lot. Mark spoke good English and was my teacher for English – well, a little bit. I understood his language from Croatia and his English was great from Australia. I would ask him what things meant and I made a lot of progress with my language when he was there” Moravcik said, as quoted by the Daily Record.

Mark Viduka celebrates winning the league cup (Mandatory Credit: Michael Cooper /Allsport)

It must have been hard for Moravcik to learn English, so credit has to be given to Viduka for aiding his teammate. It is just a pity that the duo didn’t spend that long playing in the same Celtic team.

Striker missed out successful Hoops spell

Viduka departed in the summer of 2000 for Leeds United. He missed the Martin O’Neill revolution that Moravcik helped to create.

Lubomir Moravcik celebrates a Celtic goal (Mandatory Credit: Mark Thompson/ALLSPORT)

Viduka was a great player for Celtic, but it has to be said that he was also a controversial one. He walked out on Celtic just four days after signing for the club and as revealed by the Scottish Sun earlier this year that the reason for that was because he was ‘burned out’.

He did eventually join up with the Hoops the next year, in time for the last few months of the season. Viduka also had a bust-up with manager John Barnes at half-time of Celtic’s infamous defeat to Inverness in 2000.

It should still be pointed out that Viduka was a great striker for the Hoops in his time at the club. He was deservedly named as Scotland’s player of the year in 2000. His time at Celtic probably won’t be remembered that fondly fan though. Still, it is good to see that Moravcik has good memories of a very good Hoops striker.

In other news, some Celtic fans have reacted to the news that Ryan Christie will miss the Glasgow derby.