Ex Celtic and Denmark midfielder Thomas Gravesen to headline the SSE Hydro

By Euan Davidson

September 17, 2021

Former Celtic and Denmark midfielder Thomas Gravesen has played on some big stages, but the SSE Hydro is something quite different.

A mainstay of Glasgow’s thriving live music and arts scene, the Hydro will play host to some big acts including Genesis and McFly over the coming weeks.

But their biggest personality on-stage next month might be the ex-footballer, turned professional poker player. Joining another former Celtic man in Si Ferry, Gravesen has been added to Open Goal’s live event on the 3rd of October [SSE Hydro].

Something of a Podcast legend, Open Goal has been full of stories about the lively ex-Real Madrid and Everton man. There’s a whole compilation of clips about the guy [Open Goal], featuring Aiden McGeady, Gordon Strachan and Mark Wilson.

So, Ferry and co have certainly landed a real target here. The Open Goal team announced Gravesen on Twitter within the last hour.

Thomas Gravesen remains entertaining years after playing for Celtic

Gravesen enjoyed a career spent playing top-level football for some great clubs.

From humble beginnings at Danish side Vejle BK, Gravesen moved on to Hamburg, before asserting himself as a Premier League mainstay with Everton.

In 2005, the Dane made a shock move to Real Madrid, playing in a side that featured Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, David Beckham and Raul.

He wasn’t there to make up the numbers, either; Gravesen made 49 appearances in a year and a half in Spain [Transfermarkt].

A year at Celtic, full of bizarre incidents off the pitch, came and went before Gravesen returned to Merseyside. He retired there at the end of the 07-08 season.

Rather than get into coaching or running a pub like players past, however, Gravesen turned to poker. Now, he lives in Las Vegas, having made a reported £100m from investments and professional gambling [Sun].

Instead of ex-pros telling wild stories about Gravesen, it’ll be on the 66-capped Dane to drive the evening’s chat.

It should be quite the experience.

And we’re betting Si Ferry has thousands of questions for the wild, unpredictable multi-millionaire ex-international.

In other news: Sunday is the perfect stage for Irishman Liam Scales to bag his Celtic debut