GLASGOW, Nov 15 — Former Celtic midfielder Bertie Auld, who was part the European Cup-winning “Lisbon Lions” team of 1967, has died at the age of 83, the Scottish Premiership club said on Sunday.
Auld made 283 appearances and scored 85 goals for Celtic in two spells, winning five league titles, four League Cups, three Scottish Cups and the European Cup in 1967 when they beat Inter Milan 2-1 in the Lisbon final on May 25.
The club added that Auld had written his name into Celtic folklore for leading his team mates in singing “The Celtic Song” in the tunnel as they lined up alongside the Inter side.
“I don’t think words can ever adequately describe what Bertie meant to the club and our supporters. He was a giant of a player, a giant of a man and quite simply Mr Celtic,” Celtic chairman Ian Bankier said in a statement.
“He scaled the greatest of heights... with his talent but it is who he was as a man that made him so much more to us all. He enriched all our lives so greatly with his humour, his character and personality and for that we will forever be grateful.”
A Scotland international with three caps, Auld also played for Birmingham City and Hibernian before hanging up his boots and going on to manage teams like Partick Thistle, Hibernian, Hamilton Academical and Dumbarton. — Reuters
