Retired Swiss international Ramon Vega has labelled the Celtic supporters as the “best in the world” as he reflected back on his time at Parkhead.
Vega signed for the Hoops on a season-long loan deal from Tottenham Hotspur back in 2000. He would play a key role in Celtic securing the treble that season under Martin O’Neill before heading back to Spurs.
The former Parkhead centre-back is something of a cult hero amongst supporters. And it’s fair to say he’s been consistently vocal about how much he loves the club since his short spell in Glasgow.
And in an interview with World Football Index, Vega was quick yo label the supporters at Celtic as the world’s greatest.
“It was an enormous honour and experience to play for Celtic. It was such an intense season and only a short part of my career but it is certainly one of the most memorable. We were extremely successful in that season and that period of time felt like three or four years for me such was the level of intensity and pressure on us to succeed.
“The supporters of Celtic are the best in the world in my opinion and I’ll never forget my time at the club. I loved living in Glasgow. It is a pure football city like nowhere else I’ve lived. Martin O’Neill always ensured that we handled the intensity of the city by being a calming influence when we needed him to be.
“The city is great and the Scottish people are very friendly and courteous. Unfortunately, my time ended after one season, which is something that saddens me. I would love to have stayed at Celtic but an offer was never put on the table for me.”
Ramon Vega did have the choice of staying at Celtic Park
Interesting to hear Vega talk about not having the opportunity to stay at Celtic for longer. When his loan deal expired back in 2001, he did indeed reject the chance to stay for a longer period. At the time, he simply wasn’t happy with the prospect of a one-year deal [BBC].
Instead, the then Swiss international moved to Watford. A move back to English football clearly proving too big an attraction for him.
But this shows just how big an impact the Celtic supporters truly have on their players. Normally, when footballers play for such a short period at certain clubs, it doesn’t become a major highlight of their careers.
Certainly, you would expect Vega to talk up the likes of Spurs more than he does Celtic. But he’s a constant Hoops cheerleader both in the mainstream media and on social media. He still has a bond with the Celtic supporters and he clearly still holds a great affection for the club.
This is simply down to the love and support he received from the Hoops fanbase. The treble won in that period would also have helped of course.
It’s just a pity that Vega couldn’t bring himself to commit for another year. A longer-term contract appeared to be his biggest priority. Even so, it’s clear he still holds Celtic in extremely high regard.
In other news, Summer Celtic departee still raving over what he witnessed under Ange Postecoglou
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