MARTIN O’NEILL signed Rab Douglas from Dundee in a £1million deal in October 2000 as he looked for a successor to Jonathan Gould.
The 6ft-plus keeper won six honours – three titles and three Scottish Cups – during his five years at the Hoops and also represented Scotland 19 times in a rollercoaster career that saw him named as a substitute for Arbroath in a Scottish Cup-tie against Motherwell in January 2023.
Douglas was FIFTY at the time!
The shotstopper began his career with Meadowbank Thistle in 1993 and, following relegation to the Third Division a year later, they were re-branded as Livingston and Douglas continued as the regular netminder.
He joined First Division Dundee in July 1997 and played his role in the club winning promotion at the end of that season.
SEVILLE, HERE WE COME…Rab Douglas and John Hartson celebrate after dismissing Boavista as Celtic seal a place against Porto in the UEFA Cup Final in 2003.
O’Neill took over as Celtic boss in June 2000 and four months later brought in Douglas as the team’s new No.1. He won league and Cup double in his debut campaign, but missed out in the League Cup success because he had previously played for Dundee in the competition.
Douglas was a member of the Celtic team that reached the UEFA Cup Final against Porto in Seville in 2003. Despite a double from Henrik Larsson, the side lost 3-2 to Jose Mourinho’s Portuguese outfit in extra-time.
The keeper was blamed for the loss of at least one of the opposition strikes that evening and other ‘soft’ goals were highlighted afterwards, notably Rangers’ late equaliser in a 3–3 draw in October 2002.
O’Neill brought in Swedish international Magnus Hedman to provide competition for the gloves. David Marshall was also emerging at the time as a genuine prospect.
In the midst of increased speculation about his future at the end of the 2004/05 campaign, O’Neill informed Douglas he would not be first choice for the new season. That summer, he moved to Leicester City on a free transfer.
After losing his top team spot, Douglas joined Millwall on loan in September 2007 before moving to Wycombe Wanderers in another temporary transfer shortly afterwards.
DOWN AND OUT…a disconsolate Rab Douglas after Celtic’s 3-2 UEFA Cup Final extra-time defeat to Porto.
He was on his travels again in March 2008 when he played one game as an emergency signing for Plymouth Argyle before being released by Leicester City two months later.
Douglas returned to Dundee that summer, but was freed in May 2013 following the Dens Park club’s relegation to the second-tier.
The keeper joined Forfar in July 2013 before quitting in December 2015 in protest after the sacking of manager Dick Campbell.
After almost a year without a club, Douglas signed for fourth-tier Arbroath, joining up with once again with former gaffer Campbell.
He left Gayfield at the end of the 2017/18 season, but returned as goalkeeping coach before the turn of the year.
His 19th and final Scotland appearance came as a second-half substitute in a 2-2 draw in Austria in a friendly encounter in August 2005.
* TOMORROW: Don’t miss the adventures of another former Celt in CQN’s EXCLUSIVE series.
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