Celtic icon Billy McNeill would joke about pulling on the blue Blantyre Victoria kit while playing for his first club, the juniors revealed in a touching tribute.
McNeill became the first Scot to lift the European Cup while at the Hoops but started his career in Blantyre before moving to the Glasgow giants as a teenager in 1957.
Lifelong Vics' fan and committee member Andy McDade fondly remembered the Lisbon Lion one year on from his passing.
'Cesar' was playing for Our Lady's High School in Motherwell when The Vics brought him to the side, before the Parkhead scouts quickly came calling.
McDade said the kind-hearted 17-year-old, who would feature at right-back, would give the fans a bit of banter about the colours of the home strip.
He added that even as a youngster you could see McNeill was destined to play at the top level.
He told Lanarkshire Live Sport: "When he came to us he was very young, and would either play as a right-back or as a sweeper.
"The juniors were really tough at that point and that's why players came to us; they got toughened up a bit.
"He was tall for his age and had the talent, you could see he was going to go on to a higher level because of the build he had.
"He was a very nice boy, and was quite quiet for the juniors - which you would say was boisterous at that time! He was very kind and popular.
"Celtic came calling and you knew they didn't take bad players.
"He was always really polite, and you look back on it now with a bit of pride that he played for us even though he didn't play that many games.
"He would always joke that he had a green top under the blue of our kits, so there was something between it! He would have a good laugh with us.
"He really was Celtic through and through. He was a really great young lad."
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