McManus joins Celtic's European elite

current Celtic captain Stephen McManus to that list - an elite group of players who form the top ten Champions League/ European cup appearances for the club.

Celtic's big stopper 'Mick' McManus hopes he's still in his infancy as far as his European adventures with Celtic go so he was genuinely surprised to find that his Champions League appearances for the club so far put him among the top ten "I honestly never realised that I'd played so many games in the UEFA Champions League" he told the Celtic View "To now be in the top ten is really pleasing and I'm proud to be in there with so many famous Celtic players."

"It's been an incredible few years for me in Europe" he added "Under the gaffer we've had a lot of success in the Champions League and it's been a pleasure to play my part. When I look back on the past three seasons there are so many highlights to pick out. Beating Manchester United to reach the last sixteen was special while reaching the same stage last year in my first season as captain was a proud moment"

"We had the Spartak Moscow qualifier as well and that was just incredible to be a part of. I'll never forget the sight of Tommy Burns flying through the air on top of all the bhoys after we won the penalty shoot-out" continued the captain "A few months later we beat AC Milan and they were the holders. That was one of the best European nights at Celtic Park. The noise was unbelievable and I was lucky enough to score. It wasn't the best goal of my career but I wasn't complaining"

There have also been nights to forget for Stephen "There have been lows along the way as well." he said "Losing in the last 16 against AC Milan was hard to take but nothing will ever compare to losing to Aalborg in Denmark. It was horrendous. The manner of the defeat left us numb."

"Overall, though, I've enjoyed the experience." he continued "That's me played in a few European campaigns and I think we've achieved a lot over the last few years as a team. Personally I think that the Champions League has helped my game so much"

Read the full interview with Stephen McManus in this week's 100-page bumper Christmas special Celtic View.  On sale now!