Former Scotland international Pat Nevin has revealed he had the chance to join Celtic FIVE times.

Speaking to Sun Sport, Nevin spoke about his days as a youth player at Celtic and the reason why he wasn’t offered a contract originally, before revealing that he had the chance to join the Hoops a further four times.

“Celtic though, were different. I’d five opportunities to join them and, for one reason or another, it never happened.

“I trained with them as a kid and won the Player of the Year award after scoring 160 goals in a season — but wasn’t offered a contract because I was viewed as too small.

“That suited me fine because if I’d been offered an apprenticeship at the club I’d definitely have turned it down.

“I didn’t like the odds of going to Celtic and making it to the first team. I was an awfully earnest kid and I worried it would spoil my love of playing football for the sake of it.

“Also, my two older brothers had chucked football to study and I anticipated doing the same.

“But most of all, the training at Celtic was pretty useless. The Boys’ Club training and coaching was great but once you were an apprentice it seemed to consist of five-a-sides behind the goals and sweeping up rubbish after the European nights.

“I can remember playing in a bounce game against a young goalkeeper who had such a stinker that people were literally laughing at him. His name was Pat Bonner — and he went on to do not bad for himself.”

As well as being at Celtic, Nevin was also approached by Glasgow rivals Rangers. However, he of course went on to have a career both in Scotland and down south with clubs such as Chelsea and Everton.

Stories like this seem to come out very often, where players spent some time at Celtic as a young player before having to go out and make a career elsewhere.

It is certainly strange to hear that when a club wants a player that many times, it doesn’t work out one in Pat Nevin and Celtic’s case.

Who knows what would have happened had he featured at some point for the club.