Celtic have paid a moving tribute to club legend Tommy Callaghan after his passing at the age of 78. The midfielder was a favourite among supporters in a post-Lisbon Lions world as he was signed by Jock Stein in the wake of the 1967 triumph in Milan.
The elegant midfielder was Celtic’s record signing, a £35,000 purchase from Dunfermline in November 1968 and the only player ever signed twice by Stein.
Callaghan was adored at the Pars and is regarded as a club legend at both East End Park and Celtic Park. Born in Cowdenbeath, he was a Celtic fan and a miner who struck gold when he forged a partnership with mentor Stein that yielded six league winners’ medals, four Scottish Cup badges (one with the Pars) and two League Cup gongs.
Unsurprisingly, it took him a couple of seasons to fully settle into a team of legends, their reputations forged in Lisbon, but in eight years at Celtic he represented the club 284 times, scoring 33 goals.