‘That was special’: Journalist says Celtic Park has another use after what he witnessed in Paradise

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Celtic Park has witnessed some great and iconic moments in Europe and domestically over the years.

The Lisbon Lions gave us some incredible and iconic moments in Celtic’s history. Billy McNeill delivered a league and cup double in our centenary season. Martin O’Neill delivered the Hoops first treble since the Jock Stein era and Gordon Strachan took Celtic to the last 16 of the Champions League.

There are many more moments that the Celtic fans could rhyme off but it was the night that Shunsuke Nakamura sent the Hoops into the last 16 of the Champions League in 2006 that journalist, Ian Ladyman, remembers most.

In fact, the memory has stayed with him so much that he believes Celtic Park should be used for Scotland home games because of the noise he heard being created that night.

Ladyman said [It’s All Kicking Off podcast], “I was there the night that Celtic beat Manchester United. The Nakamura free kick, that was special.

“That was a special night and that goes back to the point, imagine if this Scottish National team were playing in an atmosphere like that.”

What Europe’s elite have said about the incredible Celtic Park atmosphere

The Celtic Park atmosphere on European nights is incredible. So much so, Lionel Messi said, “It is the best atmosphere in Europe and we all want to experience that again.”

Cristiano Ronaldo also said, “The Celtic fans are incredible. It is always great to play there.” and Barcelona legend Xavi also said, “I don’t think I have seen anything like the Celtic fans in all the stadiums I have played.

“When you step out at Celtic Park, the atmosphere they create for their team is incredible. It doesn’t matter how many big games you have played in, walking out into that atmosphere is always intense.” [Talksport]

Whether this same atmosphere that the Celtic fans make could be recreated by a Scotland crowd is debatable but there is no doubt that as a football arena, Paradise is one of the best in Europe.

In other news, ‘Tremendous’: Ally McCoist says Celtic legend is much better than current 33-year-old England international