It was fitting to see Celtic participate in Artur Boruc’s final competitive game last night in Poland with club Chief Executive Michael Nicholson presenting the former Hoops keeper with a commemorative Celtic cross to mark the occasion. 

One of the most important fixtures in the calendar when Boruc spent his time in Glasgow was Old Firm games where many a player has been judged.

The derby has been dubbed as one of the most bitter rivalries in world football and Boruc certainly got his fair share of action in them and really loved a wind-up.

Glasgow’s derby goes beyond two football teams with a major element to it being religious backgrounds which was one of the circumstances that adhered Boruc to the fixture.

In the most ridiculous of circumstances, police were called in to speak to Boruc after the Polish keeper made the sign of the cross at Ibrox when approaching his goal. A sign many practicing Catholics do when entering mass across the world which players of all teams do.

It was at this point that Boruc felt completely different to the fixture and knew this wasn’t just about two football teams.

“The emotions was always a big part of my life and that was probably the reason why I would get involved so much in the rivalry,” said Artur Boruc speaking to Football Scotland. 

“I was pleased I could enjoy it with the Celtic fans.

“When (I blessed myself) that was the time where I probably realised how big (the rivalry) is with the religion and that kind of thing.

“And it was a big thing for me as well because I knew what to do exactly.

“It was a little bit problematic as it’s like race and people talking about that all the time. For me religion was too heavy a matter and that showed me what situation I might be in with the things I was doing.

“It didn’t really stop me too much at the time because I wanted to enjoy my life and that’s what I was doing at Celtic. It might be a little bit too crazy and silly from my side but I still remember having great memories of a great time.”

The 42-year old certainly embraced the nickname he was christened with by Celtic fans as the ‘Holy Goalie’ after such moments and pulling on a t-shirt which depicted the late Pope John Paul II who also also hailed from Boruc’s homeland.

“I always wondered where that (nickname) came from! Who came up with it and what was behind it. I never knew and I actually still don’t know what was behind it!”

“One of my friends showed me the T-shirt and came up with the idea,” he recalls. “It’s why I wore it, that was another thing which I enjoyed.

“It’s a good memory for me, nothing too bad happened with it so I will always remember it.”