Paul Lambert is fondly remembered by Celtic fans for winning four league titles and four domestic cups with the club as well as being part of the Seville team.

Recently, though, Lambert has revealed how he initially turned down a move to Celtic and that it was Wim Jansen’s persuasion combined with the health of his son that coaxed him into a move back home.

In summer 1997, the Scot had just starred in a European Cup win for Borussia Dortmund in his maiden year at the club. As a result of this, numerous teams were interested, Lambert told the Daily Record:

“After the Champions League Final, I had the option to go anywhere in Europe.

“It was incredible.

“My answer was always ‘no, this club has given me what i have today and i’m really happy here’. Then there came a point when my son wasn’t keeping too good”

Lambert’s son suffered from febrile convulsions which causes children to have convulsions when their temperatures rise to an extremely high level. Due to this, a move home seemed logical and Celtic were interested:

“Celtic came in. They’d asked me a few times at the beginning and i’d said no to them as well.”

Despite saying no to Celtic previously, Wim Jansen would not let up and met with Lambert when he was on international duty:

“Scotland were playing Belarus up in Aberdeen. Wim [Jansen] and Murdo MacLeod appeared like Rentaghost in the bootroom at Aberdeen! I don’t know how they got in there but they did and Wim said ‘would you give me one more chance? i want to sign you.”

In the end, Jansen ended up signing European champion Lambert for 2.9 million euros (Transfermarkt) and the rest, as they say, is history.

The midfielder helped Celtic stop the ten in his first season at the club before moving on to Livingston, where he eventually retired, after spending eight successful years in Glasgow’s east end.