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It isn’t too often that Celtic sign a player from Real Madrid, but that is what happened when Danish star Thomas Gravesen joined the club in 2006.
Gravesen had made his name at Everton, where his combative style of play eventually won him a move to La Liga. He wasn’t in Spain for long, and after finding it hard to hold down a first-team place for Madrid, he made the move to Glasgow.
Gravesen’s Celtic career got off to the best possible start. His first goal for the club came in a Glasgow derby against Rangers. He got on the end of Aiden McGeady’s saved effort to head the ball into the empty net.
YouTube: 2006.09.23 Celtic v Rangers
His best performance for the Hoops came in a 3-1 win over St Mirren. Gravesen dominated the game, scoring a hat-trick and turning in an excellent midfield display.
YouTube: All Thomas Gravesen Celtic Goals
It was the sort of performance that Celtic would have been betting on coming from Gravesen most weeks before he joined the club. Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be the case.
Gravesen’s last notable moment for the Bhoys was another goal against Rangers, this time from an acute angle, as he hammered the ball on the half-volley into the back of the net. It was a very good goal, and showed just how good a player that he could be when he was on form.
That goal was a last hurrah for Gravesen at Celtic, as he started to lose his place in the first-team in the second-half of the season.
By the end of the campaign, Celtic had won a league and cup double but Gravesen was out of the first-team, which few would have expected when he joined Celtic.
With no future for Gravesen under manager Gordon Strachan, the player was sent out on loan for season 2007/08, re-joining Everton.
The player failed to recapture the form he showed at the Liverpool club, and he returned to Celtic at the end of the season. Gravesen was released by the Hoops soon after, and retired from all forms of football in 2009.
Gravesen’s time at Celtic was certainly an eventful one, after all, how many players score in their first two appearances against Rangers? Despite that achievement, Gravesen’s move just didn’t work out.
His performances didn’t seem to be good enough for Hoops boss Gordon Strachan, and it was no surprise to see him depart Celtic at the end of his only season with the club.
Gravesen will always be remembered by the Hoops support for two things. Firstly, the two goals against Rangers. Any Celtic player who scores two goals in the Glasgow derby will always be praised.
Secondly, Gravesen’s performance against St Mirren. His display was so complete that it looked as if the Hoops could have a midfield mainstay for years to come on the books. Sadly, it was not to be, but Gravesen’s time at Celtic was always interesting to say the least.
