Steven Pressley is one of only a few players who have had the opportunity to play for Celtic and Rangers.
Signed by Gordon Strachan in 2006 on a free from Hearts, Pressley made his debut against Kilmarnock in January 2007 and then captained Celtic in his return to Tynecastle in a 2-1 over his former club.
The former Scotland defender made 22 appearances for Celtic over a two-season period and won two Scottish Premiership league titles and a Scottish Cup scoring two goals in the process.
However, Pressley also played for Rangers at the beginning of his career and spent four seasons at the Ibrox club.
And here, Pressley describes why he valued his time at Celtic Park more than his four years at Rangers.
Age made Steven Pressley cherish his Celtic time more than Rangers
When he signed for Celtic, Pressley was 32 years old and heading toward the twilight of his career. And it was for exactly that reason the former Scotland defender explained why he looks back more fondly at his time at Parkhead than at Ibrox.
Pressley told the Daily Record Hotline, “But again, going to Celtic and getting the opportunity to win trophies was something that I was very fortunate to do.
“When I left Hearts, the interesting thing is, when I left Hearts, the intention was to go to England. I’d agreed in principle to go to Charlton and only changed my mind because my wife had just had her second child. And then Gordon [Strachan] chased me, and I chose to go there.
“But it was a great experience for me. I was there for two years. I played alongside some terrific players.
“Also, I worked with Gordon, who I have the utmost respect for as a coach and a person. So, it was a great time, and Celtic as a club treated me brilliantly. It honestly was a great experience for myself.
“And it was one that I appreciated a lot more than when I was at Rangers. Just because of my age and my experience in the game.”
Steven Pressley’s biggest and best wins at Celtic
Although Pressley’s appearances at Celtic were limited, he still had a significant impact on some of the Hoops’ biggest games over that two-year period.
Pressley was part of Gordon Strachan’s team that beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 to help Celtic qualify from the Champions League group stages for the first time in their history.
The former Hearts man’s winning return to Tynecastle and the 2-1 away win at Aberdeen were big moments in Celtic’s 2007 title-winning season.
Pressley also scored in the 2-1 2007 Scottish Cup quarter-final win over Inverness Caley Thistle and featured in the final win in May against Dunfermline making the former Celtic defender the only player to win the trophy with three different Scottish clubs.
Whilst he wasn’t one of Celtic’s most prolific players in terms of appearances, now at Brentford, Pressley undoubtedly had a significant impact in the Parkhead club’s history over his short period in Glasgow’s east end.
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