The Perfect Present

John Hartson remembers with great fondness when he scored a title-winning goal for Celtic against Hearts on his birthday

- Mark Henderson

JOHN Hartson knows the sheer elation Scott Sinclair, Patrick Roberts and Stuart Armstrong would have experienced as they scored the goals that clinched a sixth successive title for Celtic last weekend against Hearts. He has been there and done it.

The Hoops hero scored the only goal of the game 11 years ago against the Tynecastle side in Paradise to seal the championship for Gordon Strachan in his first season in charge of the club. It was particularly memorable for the former Welsh internationalist as his golden goal arrived on his 31st birthday, ensuring it’s moment he will never forget, just like the entirety of his five-year spell at the club.

It was this love of Celtic that saw him depart to West Bromwich Albion just a few months later with a heavy heart yet in possession of an abundance of wonderful memories.

Indeed, there is no-one more delighted than Hartson, who was the last player to score 100 goals for the club, to see the Hoops sweeping all before them in Scottish football under Brendan Rodgers as he explained in an exclusive interview with this week’s Celtic View.

What are your memories of scoring the goal in 2006 that wrapped up the title?