Ex-Celtic star looks unrecognisable 15 years on from Hoops exit but he’s still playing – and starred at a Euros

JOINING Celtic in 2004, he spent four years at Parkhead before announcing his departure in 2008.

He made just one competitive appearance for the Hoops during that time despite being tipped for a breakthrough under former managers Martin O’Neill and Gordon Strachan.

GettyThis former Celtic star looks very different from his time at Celtic[/caption]

GettyHe went on to have a successful career after Celtic[/caption]

It wasn’t to be for the midfielder though as his only outing in green and white came against Hibs on the final day of the 2006/07 season.

He played the full 90 minutes and was even voted man of the match in that game, but he unfortunately failed to kick on in Scotland and was rarely seen afterwards.

His performance in that match earned him a spot on the bench for Celtic’s Scottish Cup final clash against Dunfermline later that month.

The Hoops won that match 1-0 but Strachan didn’t give the player a chance to impress at Hampden.

Signing a two-year contract extension in 2007, he left the following year for Norway after realising there was little chance of first team minutes in Glasgow.

But it was probably the best thing for him as he went on to have a relatively successful career – playing in Sweden, Denmark, Turkey, Greece and Iceland as well as Norway.

He made a name for himself at international level too and played at the 2016 Euros in France.

Have you guessed who it is?

It’s Teddy Bjarnason!

Kenny Ramsay – The Sun GlasgowTeddy Bjarnason playing for Celtic[/caption]

The Icelandic midfielder, now 36, was just a teenager when he joined Celtic and left in his early twenties.

He arrived onto the scene in his homeland with KR Reykjavík aged 16 before he was scouted and signed by the Hoops scouts.

And he’s since went through a complete turnaround as he’s now playing for the Icelandic giants – nearly 20 years after originally leaving them for Celtic.

Following the Hoops, he signed for Norwegian side Lyn for a year before joining Goteborg in Sweden.

He also played for Danish clubs Randers and AGF along with several Turkish clubs and a brief stint in Greece.

Capped 41 times by Iceland, he was in the squad for the Euros in 2016 and played a part in their historic campaign, where they reached the quarter-final – knocking England out in the previous round.

He featured in that emphatic 2-1 win over England after coming off the bench and he also appeared as a sub against Portugal and Austria in the group stage too.

But now entering the final stages of his playing career, he looks very different from when he was a youngster coming through the ranks at Celtic.

He had a shaved head and was bare-faced when he played for the Hoops but he now has a full head of hair and looks a lot older from his time in Glasgow.

Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page 

  Read More 

Advertisements