Mick McCarthy on Billy McNeill's Centenary rant and Celtic success

The Barnsley-born centre-back etched his name into Celtic folklore when he became part of the club's League and Scottish Cup double-winning team of 1988.

Despite being signed by Davie Hay, McCarthy would go on to star for Lisbon Lion Billy McNeill in his two-year stint at Parkhead.

In fact, McCarthy insists that it was the 1967 European Cup-winning captain who sowed the seeds of Celtic's triumph in the Centenary campaign by his reaction at the team photo shoot.

Rangers were resurgent and spending big under Graeme Souness and come the 1987-88 campaign they were the overwhelming favourites for the title.

Celtic had also said goodbye to a heap of talent as Davie Provan retired, Mo Johnston signed for Nantes, Brian McClair left to go to Manchester United, Murdo MacLeod opted to join Borussia Dortmund and Alan McInally quit to join Aston Villa.

In came the likes of McCarthy, Chris Morris, Billy Stark and Andy Walker. Joe Miller and Frank McAvennie would arrive as the season progressed.

As the Celtic players turned up at Parkhead for the traditional team picture, humour was in short supply.

Initially, McCarthy believed that the campaign had disaster written all over it.

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He said: "Davie Hay signed me for Celtic from Manchester City and I was away playing against Luxembourg for the Republic of Ireland.

"We had just come off the pitch and there was a commotion as lots of journalists wanted to speak to me.

"I hadn't scored the winner or done anything unusual but they informed me that Davie Hay had been sacked and Billy McNeill was the new manager and they asked me what my thoughts were but I didn't speak about it.

"It was strange to sign for a manager and not get the chance to work with him.

"I remember thinking, what kind of a club have I joined here? I felt that the move to Celtic might turn out to be a bit of a disaster.

"I couldn't have been more wrong.

"I remember turning up for the team photo shoot when I first signed and a Rangers supporting cab driver that drove me to Celtic Park and he was taking the piss as you do.

"Big Billy sowed the seeds of the successful Centenary Season during the team photo.

"We had the new signings like Andy Walker and Billy Stark as well as established players like Roy Aitken, Paul McStay, Peter Grant and Tommy Burns - we were all there.

"Somebody thought they were being funny and just happened to wisecrack 'Where are all the trophies?' To which somebody else replied, 'Ibrox!'

"Big Billy fucking lost the plot at that and he did not find that humorous one bit.

"He absolutely went off on one and screamed, 'That's not fucking funny, the trophies are at Ibrox and they fucking shouldn't be.'

"That set tone for the season. Big Billy was very articulate but I have rarely seen him lose it like that and it spurred us all on."

Somehow McNeill guided his rag-tag-and-bobtail Celtic to the unlikeliest of title triumphs as the Hoops won the league with a never-say-die attitude.

Nothing summed up Celtic more during the memorable campaign than the 1988 Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden when they trailed 1-0 to Hearts and stunned the opposition with two goals in the last two minutes courtesy of Mark McGhee and Andy Walker.

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 "The Centenary Season was great to be a part of," he continued.

"To win the league and Scottish Cup double like we did was miraculous and we only conceded 23 goals.

"The way we played that season was fabulous and it was a great achievement for Big Billy.

"When Billy said those things that day at the team photo, it was hugely significant as we all knew then what we had to do.

"Team photos are normally a pain in the arse but that set the tone for that season. We were going to be a team that fought for everything and never give up and it showed on the park as that Celtic side scored so many last-minute winners that season.

"The Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts is also something sticks out in my mind. It was lovely to break some Hearts that day.

McCarthy and Celtic's Centenary season team will be remembered for posterity.

The defender played alongside a band of brothers that included the likes of "world-class" operators like Paul McStay.

And he believes the midfielder did not receive the recognition his talents fully deserved.

He said: "Paul McStay was world-class. Had Paul been playing in the old English First Division as it was known back then for Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal then he would have been recognised as one of the best players of his generation.

"He would not only have coped with it, he would have thrived on it. He would have progressed so much playing alongside better players.

"Paul was amazing. He was such a nice guy and so unassuming.

"That defence-splitting pass to Chris Morris which helped set up Frank McAvennie's first goal for Celtic against Rangers in the 2-0 New Year's Day game in 1988 during the Centenary Season was genuine jaw-drop stuff.

"Paul was a genius. He would chest balls coming at him at high speed in the midfield and he would pick a pass when others were worried about being booted in the stomach.

"I could give Paul the ball anywhere. If somebody was marking him he would turn one way and pass it the other.

"He could keep it. He was such a fabulous footballer and he was an unbelievable grafter."

Now, there are not many people who are lauded and revered at Celtic as much as Tommy Burns.

However, McCarthy recalls the time that he and the Celtic legend almost came to blows after they had just squeaked past Stranraer 1-0 at home en route to lifting the Scottish Cup in 1998.

The two team-mates stripped the paint off the walls in the team bath with a no-holds-barred war of words. It was all part of McCarthy's Celtic education Burns style.

"I was one of the few people that actually had an argument with Tommy Burns and I am talking almost coming to blows stuff," he commented.

"Celtic put in an awful performance and we sat in the bath together and I learned another thing about playing for the club that day.

"He was moaning like a drain and he was vocal and critical and said it wasn't good enough for any Celtic team.

"I am a bit more pragmatic and I said to him 'For fuck sake Tommy, we won. We are in the next round of the cup. Fucking get over it.'

"Tommy was like 'We are Celtic, that performance isn't good enough.'

"We both went home and he phoned me and we spoke about it on the phone. He apologised to me and I remember saying that we were a pair of clowns and we both laughed. 

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"I learned a valuable lesson that day. I realised that playing for Celtic you could not slip below certain standards on and off the park. 

"I was playing for a club that was expected to win every week."

In his two seasons at Celtic, McCarthy scored just one goal.

It came via a bullet header against Hibs at Hampden in the 1989 Scottish Cup semi-final.

It was made all the sweeter because Hibs centre-forward Keith Houchen - a 1987 FA Cup final hero for Coventry City - had been bumping his gums in the press beforehand about what he was going to do to McCarthy in the showpiece.

The Irishman had the last laugh, though, when he planted a header home after just four minutes and Celtic went on to win 3-1.

McCarthy said: "My goal against Hibs in the 1989 Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden is one of my favourites as I didn't score many.

"That goal was significant as Hibs had a big striker who had come up from down south.

"Before the semi-final, the papers were full of what he was going to do me and he was going to run me ragged at Hampden all that.

"It was a silly thing to do to wind me up. He was a big physical lad so that was like a red rag to a bull.

"I have gone up for a corner inside the first few minutes and he was supposed to be marking me and I have bulleted home the opening goal.

"That was really pleasing."

Two seasons in Scotland yielded a League and two Scottish Cup winners medals for McCarthy. His name is also synonymous with the Centenary-winning Celtic team.

As claims to fame go, it is not a bad one. McCarthy was undoubtedly a strong and formidable opponent and a defensive lynchpin of McNeill's Celtic for two years and Jack Charlton’s well-organised yet totally underestimated Irish side.