LISBON LION John Clark admitted he was delighted Brendan Rodgers’ team have broken the 50-year record set by Jock Stein’s 1967 Invincibles.
And Billy McNeill’s defensive partner revealed he didn’t even know the historic Hoops side had gone 26 domestic games unbeaten until they lost 3-2 to Dundee United at Tannadice on Hogmanay 1966.
Clark said: “I have to congratulate the team on opening a new page in the history of Celtic with their unbeaten run.
“And I have to give credit to the manager – a team needs a good manager as much as a manager needs good players and it has worked. With the remainder of the season still to go, there is every possibility they could create another record.
“Personally, I didn’t even know we had achieved that record, so it came as a surprise when I read about it a few weeks ago. I asked Bobby Lennox and Bertie Auld and they didn’t know about it, either. No-one gave it a thought back then.
“It was broken by a Celtic team which keeps it in house. It’s good for the club and everyone connected with Celtic around the world.
“The manager has come in and he has pushed the players to get them going to make sure they do things right and they have responded well. All credit to them. They deserve their praise as it’s a remarkable run.
“Young players coming to the club need to look at that and say I want to be part of that. They have to work hard because that is the only way you will get reward in football.
“We were pushed all the way by Jock Stein. Now Brendan Rodgers has come in and has pushed the players and they have responded. They understand that any achievement comes from hard graft.
“Supporters are happy at what they are seeing and they are turning out again. We are proud and our supporters are proud people. We want to see the best.
“This club is all about creating records and being first in the page of history, whether it’s goalscoring records, winning the Empire Exhibition Cup, the Coronation Cup or the European Cup – and long may it continue.
“The support love it and, hopefully, in the years ahead we will have something good going on.”
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