Paul Lambert arrived at Celtic with a Champions League medal in his pocket after a successful spell with Borussia Dortmund in Germany and went on to make a lasting impression on the Celtic midfield.

Lambert went onto skipper Celtic, becoming only the second Hoops captain to win a domestic Treble and was a pivotal cog in Martin O’Neill’s time at the club as Celtic restored their reputation both domestically and in the European environment.

Lambert won four league titles with Celtic, three Scottish Cups and three League Cups.

He also captained Celtic in the Uefa Cup Final against Porto in Seville.

Celtic 1 Valencia 0

December 6, 2001

(Valencia win 5-4 on pens)

Scorer: Larsson

THIS is a mixed one for me because we lost that tie despite playing so well against what was an absolutely cracking Valencia side.

The biggest thing that stands out in my memory is just how noisy and atmospheric Celtic Park was – it was one of the best atmospheres I ever played in.

We had lost the first leg 1-0 over in the Mestalla but we felt that we were capable of beating them in our own patch. Henrik Larsson scored a peach of a goal to level the tie and we came close to winning it with a couple of decent chances at the end.

However, it went to penalties to decide the outcome. It was the first time I had seen the Celtic fans go all out to put the opposition team off when they were taking their penalties and the place was bouncing.

If I remember rightly,

Henrik missed a penalty, Stan Petrov and Joos Valgaeren missed penalties and big Rab Douglas saved two from them.

We were gutted to go out but it was a night where I felt as though we really showed that we were able to compete at that level. With a bit of luck we would have went through that night but it wasn’t to be but just for how mental the place was that night, it always sticks out in my mind.

Celtic 4 Juventus 3

October 31, 2001

Scorers: Valgaeren, Sutton (2) Larsson

AGAIN, another European night that was a little bittersweet. I thought that this was another brilliant performance from us but, even with nine points, we just missed out on qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

It had been our first campaign in the Champions League and I think we surpassed a lot of people’s expectations of how we would get on.

The night against Juventus was just a cracker with some sublime goals and performances – I remember that Lubo played out of his skin and I think everyone will remember the cracking volley that Chris Sutton scored.

With guys like Pavel Nedved,

Alessandro del Piero and Edgar

Davids in their ranks, Juventus were an outstanding team but we really took the game to them.

It was another one of the great nights at Celtic Park and I think there were many of us who had been in the dressing room at a time when Celtic were a million miles away from the Champions League that we really appreciated this occasion.

I don’t think anyone would say that Martin O’Neill’s team were ever a Celtic side that celebrated being

also-rans but there was a feeling that we acquitted ourselves very well in that campaign.

Often at the group stage you can see teams with nine points or fewer go though so it was a night that we enjoyed in terms of our performance albeit that there was a sense of what might have been.

Celtic 2 Rangers 0

January 2, 1998

Scorers: Burley, Lambert

THIS was the first goal I ever scored for Celtic and arguably one of the most important.

Like many people, I always regard that as the most pivotal game in the season when we went on and stopped Rangers winning ten-in-a-row.

The goal itself was one I enjoyed on a personal level for many reasons; it was against Rangers at Celtic Park and it was a strike I was pleased with, but in terms of the bigger picture it was massive.

We needed to win that day otherwise we would have went seven points behind but it wasn’t just that we took the points but the way we did it.

It is still difficult even now to explain to people just what the pressure was like that season; there was

nothing like it.

From before a ball was kicked in that campaign we knew that we were the team who had to stop 10-in-a-row and to do so when Rangers had a right good team, with guys like Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne.

That game was a marker because we really outplayed them and the belief that performance gave to us is difficult to underestimate.

I just remember coming off the pitch that day and believing that we would win the title – and I wasn’t alone.

Defeat was unthinkable that day and although we had a few more ups and downs throughout before we clinched it on the final day, that game remains one of the most important that whole season for me.

It showed us that we had the

mentality and character within the dressing room to go out and do it.