NEIL LENNON utilised 17 players on the day Celtic claimed a unique place in Scottish football history by sealing the phenomenal quadruple treble.
Three years ago today, on December 20 2020, the Hoops claimed their TWELFTH successive domestic trophy when they overcame Hearts 4-3 on penalty-kicks following a dramatic 3-3 extra-time stalemate at a Covid-enforced deserted Hampden.
It is a feat that will surely never be matched never mind surpassed.
Amazingly, only four of the number who performed that momentous afternoon at the national stadium are still at the club.
WINNER…the sign says it all as Neil Lennon prepares to take his place among the celebrating Celtic players at the end of a memorable occasion at Hampden on December 20 2020.
Even the manager made way after his quickfire exit on February 24 2021, just 48 hours after a 1-0 loss against relegation-threated Ross County in Dingwall. Lennon, 52, took over Cypriot club Omonia Nicosia in March 2022, but was sacked eight months later.
So, where are the 17 players who performed their part in a milestone in Celtic history that will surely never be surpassed?
In another CQN EXCLUSIVE, we provide the answers.
CONOR HAZARD
The 25-year-old beanpole keeper returned to Celtic just before the turn of the year after his season-long loan period at Finnish champions HJK Helsinki. The Hampden hero joined Plymouth Argyle on a permanent deal in July this year.
The netminder has made seven appearances for the Northern Ireland senior international team.
KRISTOFFER AJER
The Norwegian international defender, 25, quit Celtic in the summer of 2021 for Brentford in a £13million move. He was signed by Ronny Deila from FK Start in January 2016.
He played 176 games for the club and scored six goals, not including his thumping penalty-kick against Hearts to clinch the twelfth successive domestic trophy.
SHANE DUFFY
The 31-year-old Republic of Ireland centre-back endured a disastrous loan season from Brighton at his boyhood favourites. He joined Fulham on another temporary contract last August. After his stint at Craven Cottage, he signed a permanent deal with Championship outfit Norwich City in July 2023.
UP FOR THE CUP…matchwinner Christopher Jullien holds aloft the League Cup in December 2019. He returned to Hampden a year later to celebrate the Hoops’ twelfith successive domestic trophy triumph.
CHRISTOPHER JULLIEN
The French defender, 30, joined French top-flight outfit Montpellier in an £870,000 switch in August 2022. He cost Neil Lennon £7million when he joined from Toulouse in June 2019. He scored the League Cup winner against Steven Gerrard’s side in December that year.
He spent a season out with a complicated knee injury following a collision with a goalpost and made only one appearance for Ange Postecoglou as a substitute in a 4-0 Scottish Cup win against Raith Rovers in February 2022.
GREG TAYLOR
The left-back, 26, cost £1.25million when he signed from Kilmarnock in September 2019 and was rejuvenated following the arrival of Ange Postecoglou in June 2021. Scored his first goal for the Hoops in the Scottish Cup semi-final two seasons ago and claimed the winner against Hearts in a 4-3 thriller at Tynecastle on October 24 last year.
RYAN CHRISTIE
Left for Bournemouth in a £3million switch in August 2021 with only six months remaining on his Hoops contract. The 28-year-old midfielder, who was signed from Inverness Caley Thistle in September 2015, opened the scoring against Hearts in December 2020, but was denied in the penalty-kick shoot-out by former Parkhead colleague Craig Gordon.
TWENTY-TWO AND OUT…skipper Scott Brown gets his hands on the newly-won 2020 Scottish Cup, his last honour as a Celtic player.
SCOTT BROWN
The inspirational Celtic skipper won his 22nd and final honour against the Tynecastle club. He left at the end of his contract at the completion of the dismal 2020/21 campaign to reunite with his ex-Hibs team-mate Stephen Glass as player-coach at Aberdeen.
It turned out to be a nightmare period with the Dons boss sacked after a Scottish Cup loss to Motherwell and the Hoops legend released shortly after Jim Goodwin’s appointment. Now 38, the fans’ favourite spent just over a season as a first-time manager in charge of English League One side Fleetwood Town. He departed in September.
DAVID TURNBULL
The 24-year-old midfielder showed some quality touches against the Edinburgh outfit to emphasise he was worth the £2.75million fee paid to Motherwell for his services in August 2020. Injury hampered his progress and he became a bit-part player in the two years of Postecoglou’s reign.
Started this season in the first team under second time-around Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, but his future is uncertain with the Scotland international coming out of contract in June 2024.
CALLUM McGREGOR
The 30-year-old anchorman played the entire 120 minutes against Hearts and also slotted away his penalty-kick in the shoot-out. Took over as skipper from his friend and colleague Brown and has been pivotal in the club’s recent successes.
The Glaswegian has guided the team to five honours since taking over the armband and was inspirational in the club’s world record eighth domestic treble last term.
MOHAMED ELYOUNOUSSI
The Norwegian international forward, 29, ended his two-year loan spell at Celtic in the summer of 2021 just before the arrival of Postecoglou. He lasted 82 minutes against Robbie Neilson’s team before being replaced.
He returned to Southampton and became a first-team regular, but suffered the disappointment of relegation from the top flight last season. Elyounoussi teamed up with Henrik Larsson’s son Jordan at FC Copenhagen in the summer.
GREEN FOR JOY…celebrating Celts after the penalty-jick shoot-out succes are Ryan Christie, Christopher Jullien, Tom Rogic, Jeremie Frimpong, Diego Laxalt and Ismaila Soro.
ODSONNE EDOUARD
The flamboyant Frenchman was at his most frustrating against the Edinburgh club. He netted a penalty-kick to make it 2-0 – and provoked ex-mate Craig Gordon into throwing the ball at him during his celebrations which earned the keeper a yellow card from referee John Beaton.
The 25-year-old striker, who cost £9million when he signed a permanent deal from Paris Saint-Germain in June 2017, was hooked nine minutes into extra-time. Agreed a four-year deal when he joined Crystal Palace for £19.8million in late August 2021.
SUBSTITUTES
DIEGO LAXALT
Replaced Taylor in 82 minutes, the 30-year-old AC Milan loanee failed to make the breakthrough at Parkhead and was returned to the Serie A outfit at the end of the season. Joined Dinamo Moscow on a five-year contract in July 2021.
MIKEY JOHNSTON
Replaced Duffy in 91 minutes, the former Scotland Under-21 winger spent last season on loan at Portuguese top-flight outfit Vitoria Guimaraes. The Glaswegian switched international allegiances to make his debut with the Republic of Ireland in a 3-2 win over Latvia in March.
Johnston, who has returned to Rodgers’ first-team squad, is under contract until June 2026.
ISMAILA SORO
Replaced Brown in 106 minutes, the Ivorian anchorman also spent last term in Portugal on a temporary transfer with Arouca.
The 25-year-old midfielder, who was signed by Lennon from Israeli club Bnei Yehuda for £2million in January 2020, left for Beitar Jerusalem in late August for a cut-price £115,000.
ROARING SUCCESS…Tom Rogic yells in triumph after netting the Scottish Cup winner against Aberdeen in May 2017. He was also dancing with joy at the same venue in December 2020.
TOM ROGIC
Replaced Turnbull in 68 minutes, the Wizard of Oz was a great favourite of the Parkhead faithful before leaving in the summer of 2022 after nine and a half years in Glasgow.
The ball-playing Australian international joined Championship side West Brom, but was released by the Midlands club at the end of last season. He announced his retirement from playing in October at the age of 30.
JEREMIE FRIMPONG
Replaced Elyounoussi in 82 minutes, an instant hero with the Hoops support after his cut-price £1million arrival from Manchester City in September 2019. The lively right-back had an unforgettable afternoon in the League Cup Final against the Ibrox opposition in December that year.
The Dutch-born defender was red-carded on the hour mark with Steven Gerrard’s side awarded a penalty-kick. Fraser Forster saved from Alfredo Morelos and Frimpong picked up his first medal. Left the Hoops in a £11.8million deal for Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen in January 2021.
LEIGH GRIFFITHS
Replaced Edouard in 99 minutes, the 33-year-old striker, who netted the third goal at Hampden among the 123 strikes for Celtic in his seven and a half years in Glasgow, is now playing in Australia with semi-professional side Mandurrah City. He never made a competitive appearance following the arrival of Postecoglou and had a disappointing six-month loan spell at Dundee at the start of the 2021/22 campaign.
His contract was scrapped by the champions in January 2022 and he joined third-tier Falkirk a month later. He was released at the end of the term and trained at Livingston before his return Down Under.
* TOMORROW: The the Rise and Fall of a Celtic hero – only in your champion CQN.
