The King of Kings — Henrik Larsson is the greatest player in Celtic's history and one of the finest strikers Scotland's league has ever seen. Seven seasons at Celtic Park produced 174 league goals, two UEFA Cup finals and a connection with the fans that remains unmatched in the club's modern history. His late substitute appearances for Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League final — providing two assists that turned the match — is perhaps the finest cameo in a major European final. His Treble-winning seasons at Celtic and the technical quality of his goal-scoring — from headers, volleys, free kicks and clinical one-on-one finishing — set a standard rarely matched in Scottish football.
Henrik Edward Larsson was born in Helsingborg, Sweden in 1971. He joined Celtic in 1997 for £650,000 and his seven seasons at Parkhead produced 242 goals in 315 appearances — the highest return of any Celtic player in the modern era. He won four Scottish Premier League titles, two Scottish Cups and appeared in the 2003 UEFA Cup final. He won the Golden Boot at the 1999 and 2000 Treble-winning seasons. He moved to Barcelona in 2004 and won La Liga and the Champions League. His substitute appearance in the 2006 Champions League final against Arsenal — setting up both goals to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory — was his final act for the club. He later played for Manchester United on loan (2007), Helsingborg and the Swedish national team. He earned 106 caps for Sweden, scoring 37 goals, and played at four World Cups. He scored 242 domestic goals in Scotland — the most by any player during the era. His Celtic legacy is immense: he was voted the greatest ever Celt in a fan poll.
Scottish Premier League 4x
His two substitute appearances at the 2006 World Cup changed two separate games — widely called the most impactful substitute appearances in World Cup history.
Did You Know?Career Honours
- Scottish Premier League 4x
- Champions League 2006 (Barcelona)
- SPL Top Scorer 4x