Kelvin Wilson has revealed the one moment the trajectory of his Celtic career changed – and how it involved Real Madrid.
The big stopper – now 39 – turned out for the Hoops between 2011 and 2013 and was a standout at the back as they won three trophies during his time there.
He had big moments in those years and still has a fondness for the club.
Wilson even explained how he gets “frustrated” at telling doubters how massive Celtic are as a club but it could all have been a lot different for the former defender.
The ex-Nottingham Forest and Preston North End centre-half had struggled with some injuries during his first year in Glasgow and has told The Celtic Way that he was actively pursuing a move back down south for family reasons.
Manager Neil Lennon, however – a close pal from their time at Forest – wanted his player to reconsider and explained at the time how he felt he still had a lot to offer.
And it was the Northern Irishman’s applause following a glamour friendly with the Galacticos which convinced the player his career would take off in Scotland.
Kelvin Wilson was praised by Neil Lennon after a Real Madrid glamour friendly
It may have finished in a 2-0 defeat that day in Philadelphia, but Wilson put in a towering performance and was able to keep the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Gonzalo Higuain and Kaka quiet for the most part.
And when Lennon waxed lyrical about Wilson at full-time, he knew his heart was still in it.
He said: “I had two great years at Celtic. The first campaign was interrupted by injuries but I played some of the best football of my career in the second season at Celtic.
“The second season was the highlight of my career because of the calibre of players I played alongside and the teams that we played.
Why Wilson had requested a Celtic exit to move back down to England
“Players need to find their feet with clubs and the one thing I did learn at Celtic was that when you are happy you play your best football. When you have stress that can affect the way do your job. In my first season, I had just become a father to a child back in Nottingham and I was travelling back and forth all the time.
“So, there was some personal stuff going on in my life and it was hard to fully concentrate on the football and then add the injuries into the mix that first season was tough at times. I was close to leaving for Leicester City after the first season but I am delighted that it didn’t happen.
“Lenny was constantly telling me to persevere and that it would click and he said to me that I was good enough to make it at Celtic. We played Real Madrid in a glamour friendly in Philadelphia in the USA and at that point, I was still actively trying to get a move back down south.
“After that match, Lenny created a big fuss and a scene and told me I was unbelievable and that I had set the standard for myself and he was right as my Celtic career took off right there and then.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  CelticCeltic | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 3 | 28 | 31 |
| 2 |  AberdeenAberdeen | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 10 | 14 | 31 |
| 3 |  RangersRangers | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 22 |
| 4 |  Dundee UtdDundee Utd | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 19 |
| 5 |  MotherwellMotherwell | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 19 |
“I don’t know what it was if it was confidence or whatever, but I realised that I could hold my own at a club like Celtic and I never looked back after that. Game after game, I just got better and better and it got to the point where I knew I was playing every week. What I also learned playing for Celtic is that it is every team’s cup final.
“You look at the FA Cup and you see non-league and lower league sides raising their games to knock out teams higher up the pyramid than them. Those shock results happen because it is a one-off occasion but playing for Celtic is like that every week.
“You constantly have to peak and produce to the highest standard. It is a massive thing for Celtic players. Even playing in Europe against the so-called bigger teams it didn’t matter at a club like Celtic you are expected to perform and not only that you are expected to win as well.”
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
