Murdo MacLeod helped stop Rangers in their Ten In A Row tracks then watched Celtic go immediately off the rails.
Wim Jansen’s resignation two days after the historic 1997/98 title win plunged the champions into crisis.
And as the victorious regime fell apart, losers Rangers were already speeding ahead with a successful rebuild.
For as assistant boss MacLeod said a fond farewell to Dutch head coach Jansen, Dick Advocaat jetted in from Holland to spend fortunes and re-establish Rangers at the top.
Advocaat went on to deliver the Treble in his first season with Arthur Numan, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Andrei Kanchelskis among the star signings.
MacLeod sees no signs of a carefully plotted revenge mission at Parkhead right now.
He fears that, without a manager and incoming chief executive Dominic McKay not due at his desk until July, Celts are in no condition to bite back straight away like their old rivals 23 years ago.
MacLeod recalled: “Dick Advocaat was a top manager already knowing he was coming into the job and trying to sign players he’d worked with.
“There was a really strong side getting put together. That’s got to happen at Celtic.
“Celtic has got to make sure they bring in players of better quality. That’s where they possibly let themselves down this year, spending a lot of money but very few signings turned out top class.
“I’m sure Wim versus Dick would’ve been an interesting challenge back then but we never found out.
“Anyone who knows Wim, once he makes up his mind that’s it. Obviously I spoke to him many times about staying on and I wasn’t alone.
“Other coaches and players were desperate for him to stay because he’d brought so much to the club.
“We worked so hard to get that team together and got stronger and stronger as the year went on.”
Jansen and MacLeod steered Celtic to glory on the final day to edge out Walter Smith’s stars despite a season-long struggle behind the scenes.
Friction between Jansen and general manager Jock Brown was ever-present.
And those issues were laid bare in a bombshell Press conference in Portugal two days after Celtic lifted the trophy.
Jansen savaged Brown as he confirmed his resignation ahead of a friendly with Sporting Lisbon.
Back in Glasgow, Fergus McCann and Brown claimed they’d have dismissed him anyway.
Meanwhile, players threatened to go on strike in protest at the club’s board.
MacLeod recalled: “The players were desperate for Wim to stay and didn’t want to play in the game.
“They got on so well with him and vice versa. But as soon as Wim said, ‘Come on boys, we’re going out to play’ all of a sudden, the mindset changed.
“There was hardly a soul in the stadium, it was very strange. The most important thing for the players was to get home, meet up with friends, family and celebrate together.
“Then there were goodbyes. We knew Wim was leaving. But nothing that went on affected my feelings about beating such a strong Rangers side to stop Ten In A Row.
“I went on holiday and, when I came back, I wasn’t in a job. But what we’d achieved was fantastic.”
Celtic didn’t appoint Jansen’s replacement, Dr Jozef Venglos, until mid-July.
They were always playing catch-up with Advocaat who’d agreed a deal in February to leave PSV Eindhoven and join Rangers as soon as the 1997/98 season ended.
Now it’s the current champions, Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox group, that look stronger for a repeat than Celtic do for mounting a challenge.
MacLeod believes the rot set in back in August when Neil Lennon admitted, in the wake of Champions League defeat to Ferencvaros, that some stars wanted out.
“That was strange to hear and it rang alarm bells,” said MacLeod. “At a club like Celtic you’ve got to give your all - then good things happen to you for a reason.
“I know the spirit that’s needed to win. The worst thing when you hear what Neil said is that it spreads.
“The bad vibe comes from guys who want to move on to where they could make more money.
“And it puts a wee negative in even the minds of guys who love it at Celtic.
“They start to think a different way, that they too could move. But you can’t go to many bigger clubs with better supporters.”
MacLeod looks to David Turnbull as one positive sign for the future. The 21-year-old has been superb in midfield since joining from Motherwell for £3million.
The ex-Borussia Dortmund and Scotland midfielder said: “Celtic must bring in types similar to Turnbull who works so hard, is looking for goals and will only get better.
“Celtic need players with his attitude, particularly in the middle of the park. Because elsewhere they’ve really struggled.
“Too many signings have been in and out the team and found it difficult being a Celtic player.”
MacLeod expects Rangers to abide by a golden rule to ensure they don’t stall at ‘one and done’: Keep the manager.
He said: “If Steven Gerrard leaves after stopping Ten In A Row it’s terrible for Rangers to be looking for a new manager to start again.
“It wasn’t happening for Celtic after Wim left. So Rangers must make sure Gerrard stays on.
“What he’s achieved in Europe, sitting clear at the top, he’s shown people he’s a top manager.
“He’s worked so hard to get where they are now, he’ll be thinking about giving it another go.”
