| Celtic mourn loss of ‘greatest player’
Jimmy Johnstone  Tributes
have been pouring in for Celtic great Jimmy Johnstone, who died at the
weekend aged 61. Accepted as the greatest ever player to wear the Hoops,
the former Scotland winger had battled motor neurone disease for many
years.
Johnstone was a crucial member of the Lisbon Lions team that won the 1967
European Cup and his performance in that campaign helped etch his name
in eternal Celtic folklore and earned him the nickname ‘Jinky’.
Billy McNeill, who captained that historic European campaign said: “Jimmy
Johnstone was rightly regarded as the greatest ever Celt.
“This was an accolade the Celtic supporters voted to give him and
was a measure of the esteem in which they held him, even above many great
players who have played for the club over the years.”
Former teammate Tommy Gemmell desc-ribed the loss of Johnstone as a “tragedy”.
He added: “On the pitch he had the heart of a lion and the ability
of a maestro. He was an unbelievable player, as good as any you will see.
We have lost a magnificent player who created a lot of history for the
club. I doubt very much if we’ll see his likes again.”
It’s not yet known how the club will honour Johnstone, but a memorial
of some description is likely. Calls have also been made for a stand at
Celtic Park to be named after the late ‘Jinky’.
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