WHATEVER HAPPENED TO…JEAN-JOEL PIERRE-DOUMBE?

JEAN-JOEL PIERRE-DOUMBE played eight games for Celtic and scored one goal.

The Cameroon international could never be faulted for his sense of timing during his brief 18 months at Parkhead.

Pierre-Doumbe’s solitary strike was enough to put him into the history books when he whipped a low drive past Dunfermline keeper Dorus de Vries, a future Celt, to claim the Scottish Cup at Hampden on May 2007.

Amazingly, that turned out to be the only goal of the defender’s entire career!

HAMPDEN HERO…a grounded Jean-Joel Pierre-Doumbe watches his shot flash past Dunfermline keeper Dorus de Vries for the Scottish Cup winner in May 2007.

Pierre-Doumbe was brought to the club by Gordon Strachan originally on a loan contract from Rennes in January that year.

The Hoops boss needed cover for Mark Wilson in the No.2 position and the new Bhoy had to wait until late April before he made his debut.

He got the nod when the one-time Scotland international was injured and remained in place for the Hampden showpiece against the Fifers on May 26.

A dour game was locked in a scoreless stalemate until the 86th minute when the full-back joined the attack to hit the drive that sealed the league and Cup double.

Following a wrangle with his French club over a transfer fee, it looked as though any chance of a permanent deal had been scuppered.

THE CUP THAT CHEERS…Jean-Joel Pierre-Doumbe with the silverware.

However, a compromise was found and Pierre-Doumbe returned to Glasgow in time for the start of the 2007/08 season.

Unfortunately, the Paris-born performer suffered ankle ligament damage in a 2-1 Champions League triumph over AC Milan at Parkhead. He never fully recovered and that game marked his final appearance for Celtic.

Pierre-Doumbe joined French top-flight club Toulouse in October 2009 and, after recurring injury problems, decided to call it a day at the age of 32.