Celtic’s Best Ever Irish Players – Top 5
We took a look at Celtic’s best ever Irish players and made a list of the top 5 to ever don the green and white of the Glasgow giant.
Per Transfermarkt.com there have been over forty Irish footballers who have donned the green and white hoops of Celtic FC throughout the years. Between those players they have made over 900 official appearances and scored 162 goals so it’s no shock that the Celtic fans love their Irish Players so much!
On the other side of Glasgow is fierce rivals Rangers who have also had some Irish players play for the club as we investigated in a recent post.
We’ve counted down what we believe to be the top 5 of Celtic’s best ever Irish players!
Celtic’s Best Ever Irish Players
5. Mikey Johnston (2019-Present)
While maybe not the “best” I had to give the newest Irish winger a shout! While he is currently on loan at Vitória de Guimarães he is still technically a Celtic player given he is under contract with the club until 2026.
Johnston made his debut for his boyhood club on 6 May 2017, in a 4–1 victory over St Johnstone at Celtic Park. He’d score his first goal for the club in a 3–0 win against Motherwell in November 2018.
Despite a loan move away due to a loss of form, Mikey has made 80 appearances for the club already scoring 11 goals and providing 10 assists. It remains to be seen whether he will return to the club in the summer or leave permanently.
Mikey Johnston with magic in his feet!🇮🇪✨ pic.twitter.com/HV4yX0GgR0
— Rep of Ireland Player Tracker (@reptracker) March 22, 2023
4. Jonny Hayes (2017-2020)
The Dublin-born winger represented Ireland four times between 2016-2017 and he would go on to sign for Celtic on the 17th of June 2017 at the age of 29. Hayes put pen to paper on a three-year-deal for a fee in the region of £1 million.
The Dubliner scored his first competitive goal for Celtic the following December in a 3-0 win v Aberdeen and his second for the club in a 2-0 win v Rangers at Ibrox on the 1st of September 2019. Despite not being a regular in the team and struggling with injuries he gained cult-hero status throughout his 68 appearances for the club.
During that time he played across six different positions, scoring twice and giving seven assists while the club won 3 Scottish Premierships from 2017-2020, 2 League Cups in 18/19, 19/20 and 1 Scottish Cup in 18/19. Most importantly of all, Hayes is an incredible person.
3. Aiden McGeady (2004-2010)
The tricky-winger who has won 93 caps for Ireland started his career at Queen’s Park and having several trials at the likes of Arsenal. He would join Celtic in his early teens.
McGeady progressed through the academy and youth teams at Celtic with the highlight of his youth career being a Scottish Youth Cup win in 2003. He made his senior debut for the club on the 24th of April 2004 aged 18 v Hearts, starting the game and scoring after 17 minutes.
The former Irish international would go on to be a regular for Celtic throughout his six years at the club. He played 220 games, scoring 35 goals and providing 48 assists and often dazzling The Parkhead Faithful with his quick feet and sublime skills!
Aiden McGeady would also win the SPL with the club in the 03/04, 05/06, 06/07 and 07/08 seasons along with the Cup in 04/05, 06/07 and League Cup in 08/09.
2. Packie Bonner (1978-1997)
The legendary Irish Goalkeeper played for Celtic 642 times (483 League Games) during which time he would win four League Championship medals, three Scottish Cup winners’ medals and a League Cup winners’ medal.
Bonner was actually released in 1994 but after Macari was sacked, new manager Tommy Burns re-signed him and his last appearance for the club would finally come in their Scottish League Cup win over Airdrie.
Bonner would go on to work as a player-coach at the club until his departure in 1998. The Celtic and Ireland legend would retire as a one-club man with his 642 games being the most of any keeper in the club’s history and their fifth-highest appearance maker of all time.
1. Sean Fallon (1950-1958)
In 1948 he joined Sligo Rovers as an amateur making seventeen appearances before signing semi-professional terms with Glenavon in August 1949 and by 21st March 1950 he had signed for Celtic.
Fallon would make 254 appearances for the club scoring 14 goals. They won the Scottish FA Cup in 1950, 1954 and League Cup in 1957 and 1958. Club captain since 1952, he was nicknamed the ‘Iron Man’ for his tenacity and ability to play on despite suffering injuries.
Unfortunately, Fallon was forced to retire through injury in 1958 although he remained as a coach at the club for several years after his retirement under legend Jock Stein during a prosperous era for Celtic FC.
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