Celtic's five-in-a-row dream looked dead and buried at one stage - even with Martin O'Neill returning twice in a desperate bid to steady the ship
Celtic's five-in-a-row dream looked dead and buried at one stage - even with Martin O'Neill returning twice in a desperate bid to steady the shiphas had managerial changes.
Fans have been fuming with the board after a humiliating Champions League exit and a disastrous summer transfer window. Celtic's five-in-a-row dream looked dead and buried at one stage - even with Martin O'Neill returning twice in a desperate bid to steady the ship. - Kings of Scotland once again. And they still have a Scottish Cup final date with Neil Lennon's Dunfermline to come.
Veteran Dane had an error-prone season that has tainted the end of his two-year Celtic spell. Played through the pain barrier but was jeered by his own fans and the announcement of his career-threatening injury was messy. Repaired some damage by speaking glowingly about the club in his final Celtic TV interview and will leave once his contract expires at the end of the month.
Finland back-up waited patiently for his chance and played a crucial part in getting Celtic over the line. Assured between the sticks and produced top-drawer saves in big moments - especially against Rangers and Aberdeen. Distribution can be iffy at times but the 24-year-old deserves to keep the gloves for the start of next season - although there will be new competition for the No1 jersey.
Canadian defender missed almost the entire campaign with two hamstring injuries but made a barnstorming return. His engine, speed and defensive qualities rank him as the best right-back in the league. Instantly improved the team when he returned for the post-split games and leads by example on and off the park. The Celtic diehard gets a raw deal at times but you can't argue that he gives his all.
Fans can count on one hand the number of times the 27-year-old has let the club down over the years. Slipped to fourth choice right-back at one stage in the season but Celtic could do with keeping guys with his experience for a summer of transition. Youngster burst onto the scene after Johnston's injury and is highly-regarded by Martin O'Neill. Shone on the European stage and impressed domestically.
Definitely one for the future and might benefit from a loan move next term to ensure he continues progressing - with Celts certain to bolster their defensive options. The only signing of Wilfried Nancy's 33-day doomed tenure, but arguably the best of the January additions. Netted an iconic last-gasp winner to complete a 3-2 comeback win at Kilmarnock and got under Rangers' skin in the powderkeg double-header at Ibrox.
Spell was cruelly cut short by injury but fans would love to see him return from Bournemouth over the summer. Celtic's best central defender left a massive gaping hole when his season was curtailed in October with a nightmare Achilles injury. The man mountain has been colossal for the Hoops over the last five years and, although it's a cliché, his return to action will feel like a new signing.
American will be gutted to miss the World Cup but should be raring to go for pre-season. The USA stopper has been imperious at times this season - particularly on the European stage. He's also been pretty solid domestically after a second year adjusting to the physical nature of Scottish football.
Bombed out at the start by Brendan Rodgers, he came to the fore under O'Neill - although he'll be thankful THAT moment of madness at home to Hibs didn't cost Celts the title in the end. Republic of Ireland international is often the whipping Bhoy among Celtic fans but might feel hard done by not to have won the club's Player of the Year.
Scales has been the glue that's held the Hoops rearguard together in CCV's absence - aside from playing wing-back under Nancy. He's not the most glamorous of names but has been a commanding and reliable presence at the back. Eyebrows were raised when the Brentford rookie pitched up at Parkhead in January.
The English youngster hasn't played as often as he'd have liked, but he's fulfilled his role as a squad player by stepping in at massive moments at Pittodrie and Ibrox to keep Celtic's Double bid on track. Can leave Glasgow with a league winners' medal and his head held high. The academy graduate, 22, has often been thrown in at the deep end despite his lack of experience.
Towering stopper had fingers pointed at time after his Tynecastle horror show in October but has gradually recovered from that painful afternoon - mostly from the bench to help Celts grind out nervy moments in the dying embers. Man City youngster cut short his season-long loan in January after being restricted to just one appearance. It was a forgettable one, too, as straight-talking gaffer O'Neill brutally confessed: "I thought about taking him off after four minutes.
" Now on loan with FC Koln, JSP might be waiting a while to receive his SPFL winners' medal in the post... No sooner had the Japanese defender touched down in Glasgow was he written off by Rodgers. A bizarre signing, Inamura was shipped out on loan to FC Tokyo in January and looks surplus to requirements. KT was always going to require time and patience to get back up to speed after an injury-plagued couple of years.
The marquee signing from Arsenal gradually built up his fitness and played in all but six of Celtic's gruelling 58-game campaign - producing a remarkable 18 goal contributions across all competitions. It's been an outstanding first season back at his boyhood club - and he'll only get better. Uruguayan has been hampered by fitness issues over the course of a season-long loan, but boy has he contributed.
The pint-sized left-back's drive and committed displays - mostly as a sub - instantly made him a fans' favourite. And the little warrior showed that passion and determination in abundance on Saturday as he drove static Celts forward and played the lead role in Daizen Maeda's 87th-minute goal that took the title out of Hearts' hands. Put simply. If there's no McGregor, there's no Premiership trophy for Celtic.
Others will steal the limelight but the skipper's contribution won't go unnoticed at Lennoxtown. His invaluable experience, serial-winning mentality and never-say-die spirit inspired the club to five-in-a-row. The 32-year-old's last-minute winner at Paisley turned out to be priceless. Was panned at times by fans for an apparent drop-off.
But they won't appreciate what they have until he's gone. Celtic's record signing continues to divide opinion among the Parkhead legions. Yet the Belgian playmaker's quality was sorely missed during his two-month injury absence across February and March. Technically gifted Engels instantly upgraded the engine room with his relentless off-the-ball work ethic and elegance in possession.
Much of what he does goes unnoticed by punters, but not by the growing list of admirers who could spark a £25million-plus bidding war this summer. The Super Swede is another who hasn't fully won over fans. But let me ask you this - where would Celtic be without his 21 goals? Most likely third place.
Nygren's numbers in his debut campaign have been outstanding. However, the enigmatic playmaker's tendency to drift in and out of games frustrates the life out of punters - and probably his manager. Still, he's been a vital player in this historic title-winning campaign and at £1.4m has proved to be a bargain. Midfielder McCowan got Celtic's title defence off to a winning start with a late winner on flag day against St Mirren.
A useful squad player, O'Neill has relied on his versatility at times, swapping him between central and wide right. The lifelong Hoops fan irked Rangers boss Danny Rohl by claiming "no team in the league touches us" on their day. That interview after firing Celts to victory in Stuttgart went viral online - but it turns out McCowan had the last laugh. The ex-Liverpool and Arsenal superstar was a surprise addition in February on a free transfer.
And while his game time was limited, the 32-year-old still won Celtic six points with winning goals at home to Livingston and St Mirren. It remains to be seen if he'll stick around for next season, with Parkhead chiefs holding the option to extend his deal by 12 months. There's no other way to put it - it's been a difficult campaign for the Portuguese midfielder.
Despite Celtic enduring a turbulent campaign, the 24-year-old bizarrely fell completely out of the picture and barely had a look in under three different managers. It seems like the writing is on the wall for popular Bernardo - unless there's a dramatic renaissance under a new gaffer. The Japanese playmaker is another whose days at Parkhead appear to be numbered. Has looked like a shadow of the player who dominated Scottish football a couple of seasons ago.
Had a brief purple patch during Celtic's tricky run of away games in March - turning the tide at Ibrox and notching a late goal to rescue a 2-2 comeback draw. However, that burst in form quickly fizzled out and he wasn't even on the bench for the weekend's grand finale. Ask most fans and they'd have happily waved goodbye to Yang last summer.
The South Korean had packed his bags for Birmingham City, only for Celtic to pull the plug on deadline day after failing to land a replacement. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The 24-year-old winger has come on leaps and bounds both technically and physically and has completely transformed opinion around him too. Scored crucial goals goals too against Rangers , Hearts and Motherwell.
The £5m Tunisian has been unable to shake off the 'super-sub' tag. Tounekti has made valuable contributions from the bench - including a wonder goal at Kilmarnock - but flatters to deceive when he starts. He's shown his potential in flashes but must improve his numbers next season if he's to make the grade as a Parkhead winger. The most-decorated Celt of all-time became the first player in Britain to win 14 top-flight titles - his 27th major honour.
One-club man Forrest's stoppage-time strike against Aberdeen in December also saw him extend his extraordinary scoring streak to 17 consecutive seasons. Despite turning 35 in July, the veteran continues to make game-changing contributions from the bench and was rewarded with a new one-year extension. Let's get straight to the point. The ex-Standard Liege winger might go down as one of Celtic's worst-ever signings.
At £5m, he's proved a spectacular flop and has failed to make most matchday squads. The only highlight of his season was his assist for Maeda's last-minute winner against Motherwell. Other than that, he's been a disaster.
Celtic's Daizen Maeda celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the William Hill Premiership match against Rangers at Celtic ParkMaeda has cleared his locker and set his heart on a summer deadline-day switch to Wolfsburg - only for Celtic to block the move at the final hours. That left the fans' favourite down in the dumps and clearly impacted his form for most of the campaign, enduring a 99-day goal drought.
But the Japanese Duraccel Bunny came alive when Celts needed him most - scoring eight in the final six games to spearhead the five-in-a-row triumph. A remarkable footballer, Maeda bows out of Parkhead as a club legend. Iheanacho answered Brendan Rodgers' SOS call after Celtic were left scrambling around the free transfer market following a disastrous summer window. An uninspiring signing at the time after disappointing spells at Sevilla and Middlesbrough, Iheanacho is now a cult hero.
The cold-blooded hitman has shown nerves of steel by notching priceless winners under the most incredible pressure to salvage Celtic's title dreams - none more so at Fir Park. What a meteoric rise to stardom for the kid. The ex-Fulham starlet exploded onto the scene by downing Rangers in the League Cup semi-final before assisting and scoring in the title-clinching win over Hearts. All while missing most of the campaign with a horrific hamstring injury.
If that's a glimpse of what's to come, then the 20-year-old is destined for a massive future at Parkhead. The towering hitman initially made a decent impact, following up an assist at Tynecastle on his debut with a goal against Falkirk. The Czech also slammed home the deciding penalty in the shootout win at Ibrox and notched from the spot against Motherwell.
But two goals from 13 outings won't see Celts shell out £7m to land him permanently from Borussia Monchengladbach. Apart from rescuing Celtic's Scottish Cup dreams with a stoppage-time equaliser at home to Dundee, Adamu has barely been seen. Had Kenny put away his flurry of gilt-edged chances under Nancy, the Frenchman might still be in a job. So perhaps it's just as well the Irishman misplaced his shooting boots.
Despite being a bit of a scapegoat, Kenny still scored four Premiership goals - and an Old Firm opener at Hampden. He rediscovered his scoring form at Bolton and will return to Lennoxtown with a point to prove. Incredibly, the Japan cap was the only striker Celtic actually spent money on this season. Is nowhere near good enough and struggled to make his mark on loan in 2.
Bundesliga with Preußen Münster. Will be offloaded. The big Irishman made a handful of league appearances before being flogged to Swansea City for £7m. Shouldn't have been sold without an adequate replacement being brought in.
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