There was a familiar face in the stands for Celtic’s Europa League clash against VfB Stuttgart on Thursday night.
Andy Robertson was spotted by TV cameras as he watched his boyhood club produce a horror show in the first leg of their Europa League playoff tie.
Celtic were beaten 4-1 by Stuttgart, with Joe Hart stating on commentary that it wasn’t what Robertson wanted to see after the left-back was bigging up Parkhead’s atmosphere.
Apart from Benjamin Nygren pouncing on an error from the German side to equalise in the first half, Martin O’Neill’s men just couldn’t find any rhythm to the game, and now they are already packing their bags ahead of an expected exit next week.
Can you see any way of Celtic getting back into this tie?
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Celtic's Northern Irish Interim manager Martin O'Neill looks on during the UEFA Europa League knockout round playoff, 1st leg football match between Celtic and Stuttgart
Credit: Getty Images/ANDY BUCHANAN
Bilal El Khannouss scores for VfB Stuttgart against Celtic in the Europa League playoff first-leg at Parkhead, with Auston Trusty, Kasper Schmeichel and Callum McGregor watching on.
Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images
Celtic Park is famous for its atmosphere, and that was mentioned by Hart when the TV cameras panned to Robertson in the stands late in the second half.
The former Celtic goalkeeper explained how Robertson played a part in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain signing for the Hoops, and one of the things he noted was the crowd.
However, those famous European nights under the lights are becoming a thing of the past, as Hart added on TNT Sports (19/02/26), that a disappointed Robertson ‘just hasn’t seen it tonight.’
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“He (Robertson) sold it to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain when he told him about coming to Celtic, the atmosphere,” said Hart.
“The big European night. He just hasn’t seen it tonight, has he?”
And it will spark the obvious debate…
Robertson has been heavily linked with Celtic, and you sense that when the transfer window re-opens in the summer, those rumours will spark again.
But this visit to Glasgow from the Scotland captain will also add fuel to that fire, and it remains to be seen if he is wearing the famous green and white colours next season.
Kieran Tierney won’t be going anywhere, but if Marcelo Saracchi, who has done well during his loan spell from Boca Juniors, isn’t signed up, then it does open the door for a Robertson return.
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