Massimo Donati is a cult hero at Celtic.
Even though he only played in Glasgow for two years, the Italian loves the club so much that he decided to get a tattoo of the crest on his chest.
Donati’s winner against Shakhtar Donetsk was a personal highlight for the full back before he returned to Italy in 2009.
The defender may have never worn the green and white though without the help of a Champions League winner.
Former AC Milan star credited for Massimo Donati’s Celtic move
During an appearance on the Open Goal podcast in 2018, Donati was asked how the move to Celtic came about and he revealed it was all thanks to his former AC Milan teammate, and one of the best strikers of all time, Andriy Shevchenko.
At first, there was a risk of a conversation not even happening after Donati’s wife initially answered Shevchenko, leaving the Ukrainian to think he had got it wrong.
He said: “I answered the phone and it was Andriy Shevchenko. I say ‘wow.’ I left AC Milan five years before, Shevchenko is a hero.
“I said ‘listen, you was on the phone before?’ He said it was him but it was a woman so he thought it was an incorrect number.
“He said to me ‘listen, you want to go to Celtic?’
“I said ‘what?’ He said he was a friend with someone on the board at Celtic. He asked me if I was interested to go to Celtic.
“I said yes.”
Massimo Donati regrets timing of Celtic departure
Despite his love for the Hoops, Donati didn’t spend very long at Celtic, joining in 2007 and leaving in 2009.
The second season in particular was a struggle as he hardly featured on the pitch before signing for Bari.
However, this is a move that he now looks back on with regret.
He told the Celtic Way: “I gave an interview explaining the difference between Scottish and Italian football. I explained the difference which was a big one.
“In the papers, the headline was ‘what Scottish football has to do to be better’.
“I never said those words and he was so angry about that interview and I told him I didn’t say that but he didn’t believe me and that is why I did not play much in the second season.
“For a while, it looked as if my Celtic career would get back on track.
“Bari then came in for me and offered me a longer contract.
“I had a decision to make and I joined Bari.
“Sometimes you make the wrong decision. Leaving Celtic was not a good decision.”
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