Utrecht star talks up Glasgow ahead of Celtic showdown

Ricky van Wolfswinkel <i>(Image: Shutterstock)</i>
Ricky van Wolfswinkel (Image: Shutterstock)
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Celtic have been warned they could be stunned again on Thursday.... by the former Utrecht striker who destroyed them with a hat-trick the last time the sides met in Europe.

Martin O'Neill's side know a win tonight will guarantee them passage to the next stage of the Europa League. And they face a Utrecht side in disarray after five defeats in a row, and who are already out of the competition.

However, Celtic have been humbled before by the Dutch side in what was a dark night for them when they met in the same competition in 2010. Celtic took a 2-0 lead from Glasgow to the second leg in the Netherlands, but were destroyed 4-0 in one of their heaviest-ever European defeats.

Ricky van Wolfswinkel - who is still going strong at the age of 37 for Twente Enschede - ran amok that night by helping himself to a hat trick. And he's backed his old club to shock Celtic again despite their recent poor form. He said, "I definitely remember both games very well.

"At Celtic, we walked onto the pitch, heard songs, and saw the fans. You just smell the football. That's the ultimate. Pure football. A fantastic stadium, a fantastic pitch, and those fans. It doesn't get much better than that.

"We had a fantastic team, but we had a really tough time there in Glasgow, and we couldn't really contribute much. We lost 2-0 away, and the general feeling was that it was over. But then came that old-fashioned Utrecht night at the Galgenwaard.

"We quickly scored two penalties, and it was truly enjoyable. We played a really good match that night, a deserved win. Of course, you always remember an evening like that. I still have the match ball at home.

"Utrecht has to go to Celtic and enjoy the experience. And I believe they can do well there despite their recent run. They still have many good players in their squad."

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