Kenny Dalglish shares what the Lisbon Lions were really like in training at Celtic

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Kenny Dalglish is seen as the star of Celtic’s Quality Street Gang.

Whilst Jock Stein was leading his Lisbon Lions to the summit of European football, there was some serious talent brewing in the Celts’ reserve side.

Danny McGrain, Davie Hay and Lou Macari were among the future Scotland internationals who were teenagers when Celtic beat Inter in Lisbon.

Given the greatness of that side and Stein in particular, it isn’t a surprise that their talent went on to shine after being brought under the wing of the first team.

Dalglish reflected on his Celtic upbringing on Friday, speaking whilst promoting his new film which is on Amazon.

Kenny Dalglish on training with Celtic’s Lisbon Lions

Funnily enough, it was in May 1967 that Dalglish signed his first professional contract with Celtic.

He made his first-team debut the following year, but didn’t make his proper breakthrough until the 1971-72 season in which he scored 29 goals.

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He would make 338 appearances in total before leaving Glasgow to become an even bigger legend at Liverpool in 1978.

He won nine trophies for the Hoops and went on to win three European Cups in Merseyside.

Speaking to TalkSPORT, he discussed the influence of working under the great Stein, and training alongside the Lions.

He said: “I was hugely fortunate, being 16, 17, 18, with Jock Stein, the Lisbon Lions just won the European Cup. Everyone who played that day lived within 25 miles of Glasgow.

“For me, to be given the opportunity to train with those people when I was 18 was unbelievable. The people who were a part of that team were very humble, and that suits me down to the ground.

When we trained they had enough time and they had enough success to bring us young boys to train with them, the players were very welcoming, assuring and understanding, even if you made the worst mistake ever, they’d encourage you.”

Dalglish briefly returned as Celtic manager in 2000, stepping in after the disastrous spell of John Barnes.

Celtic’s Quality Street Gang

Whilst Dalglish went on to be the most high-profile member of the Quality Street Gang, he was definitely not the only world-class player it produced.

McGrain was selected in the BBC’s World XI in 1974, a testament to his incredible talent which he displayed across 17 years as a Celtic player.

Hay was the only member of the Gang to start in the 1970 European Cup final in Milan, which Celtic lost to Feyenoord.

George Connelly (who came on as a substitute in Milan), Paul Wilson and Macari were the other future Scotland internationals to break through in that period.