John Hartson recollects the instant he silenced Graeme Souness as a Celtic player: “You don’t say that.”

John Hartson recollects the instant he silenced Graeme Souness as a Celtic player: “You don’t say that.” Even the most fervent Celtic supporters would concede that Graeme Souness was capable of supporting his assertions as a player. However, since retiring from the game,

 

 

 

Souness has transitioned to management and pursued a career in the punditry industry. He is as forthright as anyone and does not mince words. Regrettably, Celtic’s superiority over Rangers persists, regardless of his assertions to the contrary. The disparity between the two is substantial. But that is the realm of punditry; the former Scotland international was also outspoken while in the dugout,

 

 

 

 

 

which was not unexpected, and it did not benefit him. Between 2000 and 2004, Souness served as the manager of eight teams, including Blackburn Rovers, which were still in the highest tier of English football. This was immediately following the team’s victory in the Premier League under Kenny Dalglish, during which time Celtic hero Chris Sutton was the team’s captain.

 

 

 

 

 

John Hartson recalls Graeme Souness’ infamous comments about Celtic during his tenure as Blackburn Rovers’ manager. Souness was in the dugout when Celtic hosted Blackburn Rovers in the UEFA Cup in 2002, marking the duo’s inaugural competitive encounter. Souness, as he jibed at his former rival, proceeded to declare after the match that it was “men against boys,” despite the Hoops winning the first leg encounter at Celtic Park 1-0, thanks to a goal from the King of Kings.

 

 

 

 

He began the game and stated that the former midfielder’s statement was unwise. He also mentioned that “we smashed them 2-0” in the return leg, as he stated in an interview with Go Radio. According to Hartson, “I recall a statement made by Mr. Graeme Souness regarding Celtic.” “He accompanied Blackburn to Celtic.” He exited the pitch with a 1-0 victory and subsequently stated,

 

 

 

 

 

“It was a battle between men and boys.” “You are not permitted to refer to individuals such as Sutton, Hartson, and the rest of these individuals as “boys.” We travelled to Ewood Park and defeated his team by a score of 2-0. You do not state that “men are against boys.” “That evening, the legendary Graeme Souness was defeated.”The Celtic and Blackburn games will feature a number of exceptional performers.

 

 

 

 

Please do not misunderstand; there were some exceptional players from both parties present at that meeting, which occurred more than two decades ago. From the legendary goalkeeper Brad Friedel, who played 450 Premier League matches, to the iconic strike partnership of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole, they were all at the conclusion of their careers.

 

 

 

 

And Celtic was also replete with greats, players who were in the process of inscribing their names into the legendary records in Glasgow. From the uncompromising Neil Lennon to Paul Lambert. The forceful Bobo Balde, which boasts the capabilities of Henrik Larsson, Sutton, and Hartson.