The thing I love about Celtic in the Champions League is that you get a variety of opinions on the club from different pundits and former players that you normally don’t hear.
Over the last 24 hours, 67 Hail Hail have discussed how Jamie Carragher revealed he’s a Celtic fan, Thierry Henry’s opinion on Arne Engels and how Peter Schmeichel admitted he would rather have been at Celtic Park than the Etihad as he covered Man CIty’s 0-0 draw with Inter Milan.
All three pundits who don’t normally talk about Celtic and all three pundits giving honest views on what they think of the Parkhead club.
And now, it’s the turn of Michah Richards as Jamie Carragher reveals a beef his fellow pundit had with Celtic hero Kasper Schmeichel during his youth days at Man City.
Micah Richards’ ‘friction’ with Celtic hero
Speaking after the game, Jamie Carragher told Peter Schmeichel a story about why Richards influenced the late Sven Goran Erikkson into picking Joe Hart over his son.
Carragher told TNT Sports, “This is really interesting. This was only revealed tonight, it’s the first I’ve heard that Kasper was a year above him in the youth team and there was a little bit of like who was the top dog of the youth team and who was the main man. So there’s a little bit of friction there.
“And Micah had actually kept it with him when he went to the first team. And God bless his soul, Sven Goran Erikkson, he was the Manchester City manager, and he asked Micah his opinion of who he should choose as the goalkeeper because he was unsure whether to pick Joe Hart or Kasper.
“And he plumped for Joe Hart because of the friction he’s had years before.”
Micah Richards shares Joe Hart Celtic truth
Carragher was clearly being mischievous as Micah Richards shared the real story on the show earlier that night.
Richards said, “Kasper, lovely, lovely moment for him. Yeah, he was a very talented goalkeeper at the time (at Manchester City’s academy). It was very difficult for him and Joe Hart sort of fighting for that position.
“But to see his career the way it has grown. Obviously, winning the league at Leicester as well, to still be in top shape at this age, I think he was a year above me, so what he is 37, playing Champions League football, it’s great to see. I am absolutely delighted for him.
“It was difficult, I am not going to lie when he was younger. It was a little difficult. Obviously me (jokes that he was the big dog). I was younger than him.
“There was an awkward moment where Sven Goran-Eriksson was the manager, RIP to Sven, he actually called me and Richard Dunne into the manager’s office, because Joe Hart and Kasper Schmeichel were at the same level, yes I was vice-captain and then captain (Dunne) and he asked ‘who should they put in goal?’ We said Joe Hart (starts laughing). No, he (Kasper’s dad) doesn’t know. But I am delighted for him.”
As I said, it’s great to get this kind of insight on former Celtic players from huge figures in the game and the fans will need to brace themselves for more of this with seven games still to go.
Celtic next face a tough away trip to Borussia Dortmund and Brendan Rodgers’ side will be tested against the cocky Bundesliga club.
But if the team plays the way they did against Slovan Bratislava last night then there is every chance that Celtic could get out of Germany with a positive result.
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