As the sad news started filtering through yesterday that former Hero Chris Sutton would have to retire through injury I was musing as to how best to honour this Galactico of a player best.
Reading through the thread on the site yesterday I noticed that one or two posters were remembering Chris Sutton’s finest hours in a Celtic jersey and I started to think what my favourite moments would be.
Chris Sutton signed for Celtic for £6M in July 2000 and was an instant hit with the Celtic fans after his now infamous interview with the Scottish Press. Talking about what it means to sign for a club like Celtic Chris replied "I know the expectations of the Celtic fans. That's to win the league and put Rangers in their place." That got the faithful salivating at the prospect of what this big man could do in the seasons to come. I don’t think many would have predicted how good an impact he would make.
Sutton made his competitive debut for Celtic in the first game of season 2000-2001 in a 2-1 victory at Tannadice. He made an immediate impact having a hand in both goals, carrying the ball out of midfield for Larsson’s opener before scoring a dramatic last gasp winner from a Stephane Mahe cross after United had levelled.
It wasn’t long however before Sutton ended up in trouble with officialdom, when at the first home game of the season Chris, alongside Jackie MacNamara was dismissed for a tame second yellow card.
It was time for Sutton to face his first Derby game in Scotland. The date of August 29th 2000 is etched on every Celtic fan’ brain along with other famous dates in the Clubs history. What happened that Sunday afternoon was a catalyst, a springboard if you like, for the unprecedented success that was to follow.
The game was literally minutes old when Sutton rose to meet a Petrov corner. Flicking the ball on as he fell he quickly got to his feet as he realised that Henke had hit his shot into the ground and the ball fell perfectly to Sutton to force the ball over the line with his right foot!
Into the second half we go 3-0 up and our hero and Lorenzo Amoruso battle for a long innocuous clearance from Gould. Sutton holds off the big Italian and chests the ball perfectly into the stride of one Henrik Larsson, who goes on to score arguably one of the greatest ever Celtic goals.
Sutton also managed to grab the last goal of the afternoon in a 6-2 rout.
Sutton proved to be equally important to the team in Europe. After a disappointing first season exit at the hands of Bordeaux, Celtic went into Europe the next season as Champions and had to transverse a difficult qualifying round against Ajax to enter the competition proper.
In the first leg at the Amsterdam Arena the tie was half way through the second half when Sutton picked up the ball in the midfield. He quickly looked up and played a perfect pass into the run of Didier Agathe. As soon as the ball left his foot Sutton instantly started hairing forward with his trademark clumsy stride. As Didier took control of the ball I can remember spotting Sutton’s sprint out of the corner of my eye and thinking that something was about to happen, and happen it did. Agathe looked up and delivered a deep cross into the box, which Sutton, in a display of guile, strength and commitment met the ball with his head and powered an unstoppable header past the aptly named Quim.
Sutton was the ultimate attacking partner. Although he was a great player in his own right he was always the perfect foil for a natural goalscorer to thrive on the fruits of Sutton’s labour. First Alan Shearer and then Henrik "the most Lethal attacker in the United Kindom" Larsson thrived on his direct and clever forward play.
Another of my favourite goals came again in the Champions league against French opposition. It was a goal similar to his goal in Amsterdam and again typified the main strengths of Sutton’s trademark power play and will to win.
Taking a throw in and passing the ball to Henke, Sutton again powered his way into the box to be delivered the perfect cross from the perfect player. The sheer impudence of the man to take a throw in and expect to race into the box unchallenged and receive a pass of that standard typified the cheeky side of his play.
There are many other great Chris Sutton moments to savour, from his chip against Rangers to seal the ‘whitewash’ (all the more sweet given that the Hunnish hordes were celebrating winning a point until Chris crashed that one in. "We love you Range….. Oh shite he’s scored) to the sublime volley against Juventus and I could wax lyrically about them all day, but I will leave the other great Sutton memories for you to savour or post about in the threads.
All the best Chris. Thank you for the hard work and the memories.
Yours in Celtic
Clydebuilt