Celtic aren’t a club for the faint-hearted.
No matter what your status is, walking out of the Celtic Park tunnel in front of 60,000 fans every week is a daunting prospect and can even swallow players up.
For some, it’s a case of taking time to adapt to life in Glasgow and the demands of playing for one of football’s most successful teams in the world.
That’s the case with one star who, after a tricky start, ended up becoming a Hoops hero.
Mikael Lustig almost left Celtic after six months
Mikael Lustig is a fan favourite at Celtic Park and always gave it his all.
Lustig had eight wonderful seasons with the Bhoys and held the position of right-back for most of them.
He’s always been welcomed back with open arms but during an appearance on the Celtic View podcast in 2023, the former Sweden international opened up on his struggles to start with.
“I thought I would go in and they would build me up, but I went straight into training and there were better players and the tempo was higher, so my first half of a year was not good,” he admitted.
“When I came back in the summer, Sevilla asked if they could buy or loan me and I felt my start here wasn’t the best so I thought maybe I should go.’
“I’m happy Neil Lennon and the staff said they wanted me and then I started to kick on in my Celtic career.”
Mikael Lustig will always be a Celtic hero
From winning league titles to playing in the famous win against Barcelona, Lustig was fortunate enough to be a part of many iconic moments.
By no means the most glamorous position as a right-back, Lustig’s infectious personality rubbed off on the rest of the squad and he was always a hit with the fans.
His goal against Rangers in the 5-1 hammering in the Glasgow derby held at Ibrox was a real highlight as he put the icing on the cake.
Lustig is often found at Celtic Park and will always be looked back on with fond memories,
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