The 7 Greatest Players to Wear Celtic's Number 7 Shirt

There are some shirt numbers in world football that simply cannot be separated from their iconic history.

'Messi 10' is synonymous with Barcelona, Ronaldo's number nine at Brazil, even the number eight made famous by Steven Gerrard at Liverpool; but Celtic's number seven stands up to any of them. 

It's been worn by at least two of the greatest players ever to kick a ball, and carries with it a weight that has caused many a brilliant player to buckle. These guys, however, did not. 

Billy Stark

17 goals in 64 appearances is a strike rate most talismanic forwards would be proud of; for a diligent midfielder signed for £100,000, you really can't argue.

Stark signed for Celtic in 1987 after playing his part as one of the key cogs of Sir Alex Ferguson's famous European Cup Winner's Cup-winning side and didn't look back. 

He eventually lost his place in the side and left for Kilmarnock, but not before lifting a league title and two Scottish Cups in Glasgow. 

Paolo di Canio

The shirt has a reputation. Over the years, it's been boasted by as many phenomenal talents as it has enigmatic flops. Di Canio holds a distinction - you could argue he was both.

His solitary season at Parkhead was vibrant if nothing else. Signing for the Hoops from Milan as a player still on his way up, his ability was unquestioned as he rattled in 15 goals in 37 appearances.

He was, however, at odds with the Celtic faithful from day one due to his political, eh, indiscretions, and that wasn't helped when he demanded a huge wage rise after his first season, refused to join his team-mates for pre-season, and stormed out of the club in a huff. 

Still, you can't really argue with his inclusion; what a player. 

Scott McDonald

Probably not as good a player as Di Canio, in fairness, but this list isn't about that; it's about how well they played wearing Celtic's number seven. And as it happens, McDonald was seriously good at that. 

The Australian is one of the best and most consistent goalscorers Scottish football has seen since the turn of the century, and though he isn't remembered as one of the all-time greats (how could he be when his three years at the club were torn between the later years of Gordon Strachan and Tony bloody Mowbray), he is very much a hero in the green and white half of Scotland's real capital.      

Davie Provan

Provan grew up on the other side of the picket fence in one of the most polarised cities in the world, so to say he had his work cut out for him to win over the Celtic faithful is the biggest overstatement since my uncle said this coronavirus stuff is 'a bit sh*t'. 

He was a noted Rangers fan, and the £120,000 paid to sign him from Kilmarnock in 1978 was a Scottish record at the time, but his free-kick that levelled up the 1985 Scottish Cup final alone was worth all the hassle. 

Henrik Larsson 

The fact that Larsson, a name so synonymous with the modern era at Celtic, ranks only third tells you more about the standard of the players higher up than about Larsson himself. 

He was the definition of a complete forward and boasted a technical ability which has rarely been matched across all of European football - let alone in Scotland. 242 goals in 313 appearances for the Hoops saw him lift four league titles in his seven seasons.

Many Celtic fans would tell you he's their greatest ever; but they would be wrong. 

Kenny Dalglish

Because yeah, Kenny Dalglish wore the number seven for Celtic. 

Need we say more on this one? 

Jimmy 'Jinky' Johnstone

There is only one winner, however. Johnstone was probably the best winger in the world throughout much of his 13-year stint at Celtic, peaking out in 1967 with a European Cup win that remains the crowning accomplishment in the history of the club.

Nicknamed 'Jinky' after his ability to jink past opposite half-backs, Jock Stein's deployment of Johnstone arguably birthed the modern concept of a winger. He was unplayable; just ask Inter manager Heriberto Herrera, who watched him terrorise his side as the Lisbon Lions upset the odds in '67.

His wider numbers make for astonishing reading; 529 appearances, 135 goals, nine league titles and five Scottish Cups.