Scotland face England in a friendly on Tuesday evening at Hampden Park.
The match is uncompetitive by definition, yet it is sure to be a fiery one as the oldest international fixture in football takes place once again.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor is likely to be an important figure in the match, giving Hoops supporters another reason to tune in. Yet, Celtic were playing an even more prominent, starring role the last time the sides met in a ‘friendly’ encounter.
Back in November 2014, Celtic Park was the unlikely setting for a Wayne Rooney-inspired England to ease to a 3-1 win over a rejuvenated Scotland side. The Manchester United hero netted twice in a game that also saw Andy Robertson net his first international goal.
Our glorious ground, the biggest football arena in Scotland, was hosting the match due to Hampden undergoing renovation work around the 2014 Commonwealth Games (The Guardian). That isn’t an everyday occurance.
Unlike virtually every Celtic match nowadays, the stadium wasn’t actually sold out for the visit of England. A crowd of 55,000 took in the match according to Sky Sports.
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The game arrived just days after Scotland’s 1-0 competitive win over the Republic of Ireland which was also staged at Celtic Park.
Our ground also hosted the League Cup and Scottish Cup finals earlier in the year, clearly confirming its status as the best stadium in the country.
The atmosphere will be good on Tuesday evening. However, it is unlikely to be quite as hostile as the 2014 clash due to Hampden Park’s stands being much further away from the pitch.
Regardless, it will be an interesting watch before the real action resumes this weekend.
In other news, Callum McGregor set for elite test at international level ahead of Champions League campaign