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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Gabriel McKay

Jozo Simunovic recalls his best Celtic moment as he pays Billy McNeill tribute

Celtic defender Jozo Simunovic says scoring in the club's first game since Billy McNeill 's death is something he'll remember "for the rest of my life".

The legendary captain of the Lisbon Lions died on April 22 2019, and it was an emotional day when Kilmarnock visited Celtic Park five days later.

Wearing McNeill's famous number 5 shirt it was Simunovic who opened the scoring and pointed to the heavens.

The moment was made even more special by the fact there were 67 minutes on the clock, Cesar having captained Celtic to the European Cup in 1967.

Simunovic told Celtic TV: "I’m going to remember that day for the rest of my life.

"That was maybe my best day at Celtic, personally. It was a very strange day.

Jozo Simunovic of Celtic scores his team's first goal (Getty Images)

“We had lost Big Billy and then it was hard to focus on the game after all that had happened, but in the end I scored as the number 5, for Big Billy, who was number 5, so I couldn’t ask for more.”

The Croat also gifted his shirt to McNeill's family after the final whistle.

He explained: "That was my duty, after all, because that game was more for Big Billy than for myself.

“That day I never thought about myself.”

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