Celtic Player of the Day – Champions League winner Paul Lambert

The Celtic Star

·22 May 2025

Celtic Player of the Day – Champions League winner Paul Lambert

Paul Lambert was a superb player. He was mainly a midfielder but he take a good few goals as well, and he was a vital cog in Martin O’Neill’s great side…

He was not a Celt by birth, but when did that ever stop anyone being a great player for the club?

IMAGO/Sven Simon. Paul Lambert (vorn) und Stefan Reuter (beide BVB) laufen mit dem Pokal eine Ehrenrunde nach dem Champions League Sieg 1996/1997

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He was already established when he came to Celtic in November 1997. Indeed he had already won a European Cup medal for Borussia Dortmund, and was well known to Scottish fans because he had played for St Mirren, with whom he won the Scottish Cup in 1987 along with Frank McGarvey, and Motherwell, as well as Scotland.

He fitted in seamlessly to Wim Jansen’s team which stopped the 10. The next two years were unhappy ones both for Paul and Celtic with Paul suffering a major life threatening injury at Ibrox (for which, incredibly, the Rangers manager wanted him red carded, even as he was being carried off!) and the team back in the doldrums.

21.05.2003 Copyright: imago/Miguelez Sports Foto (re., FC Porto) Paul Lambert (Celtic)

But it all changed for the better in 2000 when Martin O’Neill joined the club, and Paul led the team with panache and distinction winning domestic medals galore and being very unlucky not to triumph in Seville. He played 40 times for Scotland, and managed a variety of clubs in England.

Paul Lambert of Celtic celebrates . Photo The Celtic Wiki

David Potter

*Article by David Potter from The Celtic Star archives celebrating the wonderful contribution to telling the Celtic story by the late Celtic Historian.

Paul Lambert – Quotes

“I think everybody wants to play in the Premiership and Grant Holt is no different. To be honest, the Rangers bid was nowhere near our valuation. But I told Grant what was going on and he gave absolutely no indication that he wanted to go and talk to them. If he had, it might have been different. A move to Rangers might have been attractive to a lot of players, but they are not as strong as they used to be. Holt has waited a long time to get to the Premier League and it’s great for him to be playing here, considering where he has come from. So while it was a flattering offer for him, I never expected him to want to leave. Mind you, if it had been Celtic, I would have driven him up there myself!” Paul Lambert (Norwich manager, Feb 2012)

“I found Paul [Lambert] an immensely likeable man in most respects, although remarkably opinionated and stubborn.” Jock Brown

Paul Lambert signs for Celtic. Photo The Celtic Wiki

“He’s got great courage on the field, great moral courage. Paul doesn’t hide.” Martin O’Neill on Paul Lambert (2003)

Macca: “Heh wee man, do you smoke?” Lambert: “No Man!” Macca: “Do you drink?” Lambert: “No Frank” Macca: “Do you go with the women?” Lambert: “No” Macca: “Well then, you’ll never be a ‘flipping’ player” Frank McAvennie to then youngster Paul Lambert when both were at St Mirren (c1985) as retold by Lambert in an interview in 2020.

“Sorry Paul couldn’t have been more wrong!” Frank McAvennie in reply to the above story on his reply to Paul Lambert (2020)

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