Celtic supporters are lucky to have been blessed with many talented and world-class players over the years.
Over generations Celtic fans have been spoiled watching the likes of Jimmy Johnstone, Billy McNeill, Henrik Larsson and Lubomir Moravcik grace the Celtic Park turf.
Whilst many of these Celtic legends spent the vast majority of their careers at Parkhead, some did move on to pastures new at some point.
However, Celtic have been told that they once had a player who could have played at Old Trafford or the Nou Camp as ex-Hoops strikers Andy Payton and Frank McAvennie looked back at their times at the club.
Celtic legend Paul McStay
Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images
Paul McStay was ‘beyond belief’ and Celtic icon could have played for Liverpool
Andy Payton joined Celtic in one of the most turbulent periods in the club’s history. Financial problems and competing against a free-spending Rangers side meant that silverware was sparse at Paradise during his short spell at the club.
But that didn’t stop Payton from seeing Celtic hero Paul McStay play for the club and after taking part in training and lining up with him, Payton knew immediately that the iconic midfielder, labelled The Maestro, could have easily played in England.
Payton told the Let Me Be Frank podcast [35m], “I think Paul was beyond belief. Paul could have played in any team.
“Man United, Liverpool, whatever. Any team. People down here they didn’t train with him and play with him like I did.
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“And Frank did, obviously, he was humble, he helped me so much when I came to the club because he just made me feel welcome. Just a great guy really.”
Celtic hero Paul McStay could have played for Real Madrid and Barcelona
Frank McAvennie played with McStay over his two spells at Celtic and waxed lyrical about the legendary former captain.
McAvennie agreed with Payton but went further and said, “Paul could have went anywhere. He could have went to Real Madrid and Barcelona and he wouldn’t have looked out of place.
“But he decided to stay at Celtic. I was saying how I’m so pleased that Henrik went on to do what he did in England and Barcelona because of that dismissive [attitude about Celtic] and now they can’t say that.”
McStay spent his entire career at Celtic before injury forced him to retire in 1997. The Maestro won three league titles, four Scottish Cups and one League Cup over his Parkhead career.