CELTIC are looking for a third successive Scottish Cup – and a record 43rd in their history – when the competition comes to a conclusion at Hampden on Saturday May 24.
Brendan Rodgers’ men take another step on the silverware trail when they face Hibs in the quarter-final at Parkhead on Sunday afternoon.
The two-in-a-row sequence kicked off on a sunny, cloudless afternoon in Mount Florida on Saturday June 3 2023 when the Hoops overcame Inverness Caley Thistle 3-1 after an intriguing tussle.
THE FINAL SAY JUNE 3 2023…Callum McGregor and his triumphant Celtic team-mates celebrate the 3-1 win over Inverness Caley Thistle.
Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Abada and Filipe Jota were the marksmen as the Hoops completed a world record eighth successive clean sweep of domestic honours.
It was a final farewell for Ange Postecoglou, the Greek-Australian gaffer who had transformed Celtic after inheriting a shambles in the summer of 2021 after the side had limped through their first barren campaign in 11 years.
The popular boss, who won five of the six home trophies in his whirlwind two years, quit the club a couple of days later to take over at Spurs.
Amazingly, NINE of the players utilised by Postecoglou that afternoon are no longer at the club.
A tenth, Jota, has returned to Glasgow after a stint at two other teams, Al Ittihad and Rennes, and is ready to play his part in the continuing success story in the east end of the city.
THE FINAL SAY MAY 25 2024…Callum McGregor and Co enjoy the 1-0 Scottish Cup success over Rangers.
Veteran keeper Joe Hart retired a year later while moving on have been Carl Starfelt (Celta Vigo), David Turnbull (Cardiff City), Tomoki Iwata (Birmingham City), Matt O’Riley (Brighton), Sead Haksabanovic (Malmo), Oh Hyuen-gyu (Genk), Abada (Charlotte FC) and Kyogo (Rennes).
The victorious line-up was: Hart; Johnston, Iwata, Starfelt, Taylor; Hatate (sub: Turnbull 76), McGregor, O’Riley (sub: Haksabanovic 76); Jota (sub: Forrest 92), Kyogo (sub: Oh 58), Maeda (sub: Abada 46).
On May 25 last year, Rodgers led the holders to a 1-0 win over Philippe Clement’s Ibrox club with Adam Idah thumping in the late winner.
Three of the 14 players on view that day have left – Hart, O’Riley and Kyogo.
The matchday squad was: Hart; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor; O’Riley, McGregor, Hatate (sub: Bernardo 79); Forrest (sub: Kuhn 71), Kyogo (sub: Idah 61), Maeda.
