Soft-hearted but hard as nails – tributes paid to Celtic great John Hughes

Celtic players past and present have paid their respects at the funeral of one of the club’s great goalscorers John ‘Yogi’ Hughes.

Manager Ange Postecoglou and his first-team squad attended a service at St Mary’s Church in the Calton area of Glasgow, whose church hall was the birthplace of Celtic Football Club.

The funeral cortege later made the short journey to Celtic Park where supporters paid tribute to Hughes, who died earlier this month at the age of 79 after a short illness.

Hughes scored 189 goals in 416 games for Celtic from 1959 to 1971, winning a European Cup winners’ medal in 1967 and playing in the 1970 final after netting in the semi-final victory over Leeds at Hampden.

Former team-mate Jim Craig recalled his first encounter with Hughes in 1958 in a Scottish Schools Cup match with the powerful forward representing St Patrick’s High School of Coatbridge.

Defender Craig, who came from Govan, said: “This giant came off the bus, four or five inches taller than any of us with a build to match.

“Once the game began he took control of the play from the centre-forward position and scored all of the St Pat’s goals in a 6-0 victory.

“Fortunately I was right-back that day and used my intelligence to keep well out of the road while this big guy rampaged through the middle.

“Seven years later I joined him at Celtic Park where John, by then better known as Yogi Bear, was firmly established in the team.

“He was even bigger and stronger by then yet, most surprisingly for someone of that build, he had a superb first touch and a great ability to go past opponents using that touch and speed.

“The result was an excellent return of goals, many of which were in crucial games. Even more remarkably, many of those were scored from