Mikael Lustig

MIKAEL LUSTIG has won 12 trophies in six years with Celtic having hardly had a proper summer break and for at least half of his time in Glasgow has not been fully fit.

When you add in that he cost the club exactly no money in terms of a transfer fee, the Swedish right-back easily fits into the category of one of the best signing ever made by any Parkhead manager.

The 31-year-old is one of those players Brendan Rodgersrevealed he shakes hands with on the first day of pre-season training and then again on the last day off the season, and in-between doesn’t have to give him a second thought.

Lustig just gets on with it, well he is Swedish, and has hardly missed a game over the past two years as trophy upon trophy has been collected.

Perhaps it will only be once he leaves Celtic when all of the supporters realise just how lucky they were to have had such a solid professional putting in decent displays every single week for their team.

And now he is off the World Cup with his national side where he is first-choice in his position. Brazil, Switzerland and South Korea are in their group, but even with no Zlatan Ibrahimovi?, Lustig is hopeful that in his first and most likely only appearance in football’s greatest tournament, he can make his mark like a certain former Celtic man who did okay in Sweden’s famous yellow and blue colours.

“My first memory of the World Cup was when I was seven and we finished third,” recalled Lustig of the 1994 tournament which took place in the United States.

“Sweden had a great side back then and the whole country got behind the team. I think that’s probably when I first really got into football. We would play outside, watch the games, and then go back out and play.

“I remember Henrik Larsson’s goal in the third place play off against Holland when he scored from a long way out. That was the first time I had seen Henrik, I think. He did pretty well after that.

“The past two seasons with Celtic have been incredible and to now be going to the World Cup is a dream for me. These are exciting times and I’m loving every moment of it.

“I know as a fan how it feels back home when Sweden do well in any tournament. We have a good team, we are a close group and while Brazil will be favourites to win the group, they always are, we have a great chance of getting through.”

Lustig aims to return to Celtic a hero and then push on to win even more silverware with his club.

“Sweden had a great side back then and the whole country got behind the team. I think that’s probably when I first really got into football. We would play outside, watch the games, and then go back out and play.

“I remember Henrik Larsson’s goal in the third place play off against Holland when he scored from a long way out. That was the first time I had seen Henrik, I think. He did pretty well after that.

“The past two seasons with Celtic have been incredible and to now be going to the World Cup is a dream for me. These are exciting times and I’m loving every moment of it.

“I know as a fan how it feels back home when Sweden do well in any tournament. We have a good team, we are a close group and while Brazil will be favourites to win the group, they always are, we have a great chance of getting through.”

Lustig aims to return to Celtic a hero and then push on to win even more silverware with his club.

There are a lot of things I still want to achieve in football and I want to do them with Celtic."

 

he gets alot of stick and sometimes rightly so but you cant deny that lustig has been one of the best signings celtic have made in my memory.it was he that created the level of perfomance on the right hand of defence after players like telfer and matthews who had potential but wasted it. mathews is still only 26 aswell.

 

He's not easy to replace overall , We have tried it with Gamboa(Costa Rica) International and Ralston through the youth ranks who i don't think is good enough.

He has been a main player for Sweden and us for a number of years with a wealth of experience ,great servant..he can still be decent, But a lot of games he plays nowadays you can see he can no longer support in attack , never was the quickest and defensively if pressurised he seems to panic and dwells on the ball too long.

 

Big man starting for Sweden

 

Big mick visibly upset

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/24/sweden-jimmy-durmaz-racial-abuse-germany-free-kick

 

He's had a fine tournament so far, maybe we shouldn't write him off too soon, although I would prefer another RB to push for a starting spot as I don't think Brendan fancies Gamboa and I doubt Ralston will ever be good enough.

 

Well done, another Celt in the quarter finals!

 

Ish.

 

20 million pricetag lol

 

Won't even get a crack at england

 

Suspended although going by how knackered he looked 2nd half, even before being subbed, it could be a blessing in disguise if they reach the semi's.

Was it defo just cramp he went off with or something more serious?

 

Gutted we won't be getting a last minute Lustig header against England.

We'll just have to get Henrik out of retirement then.