Seven times Celtic legend Henrik Larsson brilliantly got his side out of trouble

Larsson didn’t have a particularly special scoring record when he rocked up at Celtic Park, but what he managed in the famous Hoops changed the trajectory of his career.

The Swede netted 174 goals in 221 league games, and he won four SPL titles along the way, as well as bagging four domestic cups.

During his memorable stay, he bailed the Hoops out more than a few times, across league, cup and European action.

And GlasgowWorld have rounded up seven famous occasions where he got Celtic out of trouble or proved decisive in big matches.

In no particular order, here are our top picks:

UEFA Cup semi-final

One of Larsson’s biggest and best moments at Celtic came in the 2003 UEFA Cup, when he turned up to send the Hoops through to the final.

After a nervy first leg against Boavista when Larsson scored and missed a penalty, Celtic knew they had to score in the second leg, conceding an away goal in the first.

Celtic struggled to break down Boavista, but Larsson scored a brilliant 78th minute winner to send his side through.

The Hoops came up short against Porto in the final, but this moment was pure gold.

Scottish Cup final

In the 2004 Scottish Cup Final, Celtic found themselves in trouble against Dunfermline, before Larsson produced the goods in timely fashion.

A goal down at the break, Celtic rallied back with a rapid two goals in 12 minutes from Larsson.

It was the Swede’s final season at the club, and he played a huge part in the Scottish Cup win, with Celtic eventually winning 3-1.

Title contribution

What better way to save Celtic than to prevent Rangers from breaking the Hoops’ record of nine straight title wins?

Larsson was terrific as he helped Celtic win the title in 1998, and he even scored on the final day of the season as they defeated St Johnstone.

That was a pivotal moment, given the history on the line.

Old Firm equaliser

In 1999, Larsson once again proved crucial, netting the all-important equaliser during an Old Firm clash at Ibrox.

Rangers went on to win the title that year, but after a big win at Celtic Park in the derby before that, this was a big equaliser to avoid defeat.

This goal helped solidify Larsson’s reputation for standing up to be counted when his side needed him most.

Porto win

How about the Champions League win over Porto in 2001?

Celtic needed three points after losing 3-2 to Juventus in their group stage opener, and Larsson once again provided the goods.

The Swede netted the winner to keep Celtic’s group stage hopes very much alive, although they would eventually miss out.

He also scored from the spot as Celtic beat Juventus in a 4-3 thriller later on in the group stage campaign.

Big Blackburn step

We mentioned the big semi-final win over Boavista earlier, but Celtic wouldn’t have got there without a huge win over Blackburn Rovers.

Larsson scored in a relatively comfortable 2-0 second leg win, but this tie was hugely conditioned by the win in the first leg.

Blackburn dominated Celtic, but the Hoops managed to get out with a 1-0 win thanks to another Larsson strike. That set up a much easier second leg for the Scots.

Final Old Firm goal

We go to Larsson’s final Old Firm goal for his final moment of being the saviour.

Celtic beat Rangers in all five games across all competitions in the 2003/04 season, and Larsson scored the winner in a narrow clash in 2004 in the Scottish Cup, which the side went on to win.

The goal came from a goal-line scramble and it proved the decider in a very close game in which both sides struggled in front of goal.

Some way to sign off from the Old Firm derby!