Celtic legend Lubomir Moravcik was a 'Gift from God'

Few players were able to get bums off their seats and put pure unbridled joy on the faces of Celtic supporters than Slovakian midfielder Lubomir Moravcik. The £330,000 Celtic forked out to MSV Duisburg is one of the football transfers of a lifetime. Consider this for a moment. For the grand sum of £980,000 combined Celtic snapped up Henrik Larsson and Moravcik. Bargain does not even begin to describe it.

Alongside Larsson, Moravcik remains one of the greatest natural talents to grace the game let alone Celtic Park and Scottish football. When Celtic legend Bertie Auld was asked who the club's best player was out with the Lions he said these words: “For most people, it would understandably be Henrik Larsson, who was a fantastic player, but in my opinion, it would have to be Lubo Moravcik. He was a very special talent.”

Former Celtic boss Martin O'Neill opined: “You wonder where he has been hiding all these years. Lubo is the most two-footed player in Europe, his talent is amazing. His contribution to the Treble-winning team was absolutely immense and I was delighted that he signed for one more season to play in the Champions League.

“He remains one of the most gifted footballers I have ever seen or worked with and considering I played with many excellent players at club and international level, I cannot pay him any greater compliment than that. In only a short period of time at Celtic Park he has become as big a hero as any of the Lisbon Lions of 1967. He must have done something special to have warranted such acclaim.”

READ MORE: Creating Celtic magic and how Martin O'Neill 'turned club upside down' - Lubo Moravcik Big Interview

Esteemed praise indeed. Lubo as he was affectionately known was ridiculed by certain sections of the media on arrival. Huge doses of humble pie were soon on the menu as a star and Celtic legend were born. He bagged a double in a 5-1 destruction of Rangers on his derby debut and his goal celebrations told it all. Whilst Paradise went berserk, Lubo shrugged his shoulders as if to say this is what I do and you had better get used to it.

Lubo became an instant fan favourite. He had flair, he had style, and he played the game with a panache that enthralled the public and had them in raptures. He possessed quick feet, he had a wonderful vision and a keen eye for goal. He was equally at home using either his left or right foot. Lubo possessed a skill and technique set rarely at Celtic Park never mind Scotland for many years.

He was also a supremely talented football entertainer who had all the tricks and flicks in his locker. He once treated the Celtic faithful to a piece of skill that has entered into Parkhead folklore. On August 29, 1999, Celtic overcame Hearts 4-0 at home, courtesy of goals from Mark Viduka, Henrik Larsson and a double from Israeli midfielder Eyal Berkovic. Whilst Lubo didn’t feature on the scoresheet that afternoon, he grabbed the headlines and the limelight with an audacious display of showboating. In the 50th minute, with Celtic 2-0 up, Moravcik took an in-swinging corner which was cleared at the near post.

The ball floated high towards the byline, and the Slovakian tracked its flight all the way. In one smooth motion, he adjusted his stance, let the ball bounce off the turf, and trapped the spheroid with the deftest of touches with his bum! It was effortless. Cue a rapture round of applause which echoed around the whole stadium.

There is no hyperbole in saying that both Moravcik and Larsson in their pomp and ceremony could have shone at any level in world football let alone European football. The dynamic duo were that good. Moravcik made 129 appearances and scored 35 goals for Celtic and won two league titles, a Scottish Cup and two League Cups. He had many wonderful performances for Celtic but another two stand out in particular.

Lubo illustrated his immense talent on the derby stage again this time at Ibrox on 29 April 2001. Martin O'Neill's Celtic had already sealed the Championship but Rangers were hell-bent and determined to show the men in green and white that they were still a force to be reckoned with. Moravcik destroyed them in their backyard on a day when he scored two sublime second-half goals in a 3-0 triumph and Larsson bagged his 50th goal of an incredible campaign as Celtic stormed to the 2000/01 domestic treble.

The title win meant that Celtic were in the Champions League and having seen off Ajax in the qualifiers they were drawn into a group containing the Italian giants, Porto and Rosenborg.

READ MORE: Facing Celtic great Lubomir Moravcik: Five of the Gift from God's victims on trying to blunt his brilliance

Moravcik was to be granted his final football wish as his genius graced the greatest club stage of them all - the Champions League. On Halloween in 2001, Celtic bravely exited the Champions League after a thrilling 4-3 win over Juventus in the final group match. It wasn't enough as Celtic - who had won all three home games and amassed nine points - agonisingly crashed out of the tournament.

A virtuoso performance from veteran Moravcik couldn't prevent a heroic exit and the opposite number that night Pavel Nedved remarked: “I was fortunate to play at Celtic Park in the same game as Lubo, but not fortunate with the way he played against us!”

As Moravick said: "The most memorable occasion was when I played against Juventus in the Champions League. We won 4-3. Martin O’Neill gave me my first start in that tournament. I made the most of the moment. I was subbed near the end and I will never forget the standing ovation I received from the Celtic supporters. I am very lucky."

For those who witnessed Lubo in the flesh and still talk about him to this day - they were the lucky ones. Moravcik once remarked: “My favourite time, my most special time, was at Celtic. I spent more than three and a half years there and I couldn’t have asked for more. People appreciated me and, maybe, some fans even loved me. They said I was a ‘gift from God’ but it was the opposite – Celtic was a gift from God to me."

There was something otherworldly about watching Moravcik on a football field. It was akin to attending a spiritual experience at times. Like all football geniuses, Lubo could play like the devil. Perhaps the last word on this Celtic icon and cult hero should go to a bona fide football genius in the shape of French World Cup winner and football legend Zinedine Zidane.

Zidane was once asked to describe Moravcik and he said this: “One of the greatest 10’s in football.” Lubomir Moravcik was 'A Gift from God'. Well, he was a gift from Dr Jo. Lubo was the perfect 10. Zidane is the man and he should know.

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