Ex-Liverpool star Stan Collymore has revealed he nearly signed for Celtic under Martin O'Neill.

Collymore has become a big Hoops fan in recent years and has always shown support on social media.

It may well be the case because he was desperately close to joining the Glasgow giants.

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The former striker, 48, played under Martin O'Neill at Leicester City at the turn of the millennium and hails the Northern Irishman as the best he played for.

And he recalled the moment O'Neill told him he wanted him to play alongside Hartson at Celtic - only for off-field drama to come between him and a move.

On The Last Word podcast, Collymore told Celtic hero John Hartson: "Martin O'Neill was the best manager I'd played for and I remember being gutted that he was leaving Leicester.

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"I had finally found a manager I loved playing for, I was gutted.

"A couple of months later we had a chat and he said 'let's meet at a hotel' so we met and he said 'I've got Hartson, I want to play you with him'.

"I was like f***ing hell, happy days.

"He said 'leave it with me' and I didn't hear back. Eventually I did and the perception was, there was a lot going on in my life at the time off the field, but that I'd be trouble up in Glasgow.

"It probably would've been the case, if we're honest."