ROSS WALLACE came through the ranks at Celtic and made it to the first team. While the player didn’t have longevity with the senior team, he still looks back on his time at the club fondly and greatly appreciates the opportunity he had.

Speaking to the Celtic View podcast, Ross Wallace said: “It was a fantastic experience and I loved every second of my time at Celtic.

‘I go back to those cup finals I played at in Hampden, the Jimmy Johnstone one especially stands out, but just getting an opportunity to pull on the Celtic shirt was amazing.’

“People will give up so much to do that and to play with the players and managers I got to. Working with the coaching staff as well right from the early days, it’s just an unbelievable experience and a brilliant club.

‘I still watch every game still and I follow the club religiously and I loved every second of my time here.’

Speaking about his younger days at the club, ross recalls sharing digs with Shaun Maloney and the late Liam Miller among others.

“I remember the early days when I moved down into digs with the likes of Liam Miller, Michael Gardyne, Paul Lawson and Shaun Maloney.

“There were things we would do, constantly playing football in the house, two-footing each other and it was wild, I’m surprised no one got an injury.

“It was great being away from home with other guys that were all stuck together and we didn’t get to go home much. When we turned full time we would go with John Clark to every away game to do the kit and we got the experience to go away with the first-team cleaning the boots and the kits.

“It was Martin O’Neill’s time with Larsson, Sutton, Lambert, Lennon and the rest, so you were intimidated but it was amazing to see how they prepared and looking back now it was a brilliant experience.

“I remember Paul Lambert, who was brilliant with the young boys, he would clean his own boots and he had Diadora ones and he never liked the sign being dirty.

“So the boys gave me his boots and told me I was to do them and there I was polishing his boots and going over the sign and the lads stitched me up big time.

‘Then he came in with a face like thunder looking for who had done his boots, and there I was hiding in the corner and he was giving it to me.’

“You laugh now but they were brilliant experiences.”

Ross recalls playing in two cup finals for the Hoops during his time at the club. Coming on as a sub and playing the full 90 in the other. Wallace was part of the Jimmy Johnstone cup final. The game is remembered for all the Celtic players wearing the number 7 on their shorts to pay homage to Celtic’s greatest ever player who had not long passed away.

Ross added: “It was a privilege to play with those players and I remember the first final like it was yesterday, it’s one of the proudest moments in my career.

‘I got the call to get stripped and I was looking around thinking that it can’t be me.’

“I managed to come on and get an assist for Stiliyan Petrov and it was a brilliant day and the celebrations were amazing, going around with those players, with the trophy, the fans are singing You’ll Never Walk Alone – people would give their right arm for that!

“The Jimmy Johnstone final is another game I look back on and pinch myself. Wearing the number seven on our shorts and winning the cup for me was an unbelievable experience.

“It’s just an incredible time and to say I played with those players and win for this club, it’s some of the happiest times in my career.”

As someone who grew up when Ross was coming through the ranks, it’s incredible to think the player is now retired. Wallace carved out a very decent career for himself down south – most notably at Burnley and Sheffield Wednesday where he played over 100 times for both clubs. In his later career Ross played for Fleetwood Town and finished off at St Mirren where he played a handful of games before calling it quits.

Celtic have brought through a lot of talent that have gone onto have good careers, even though they’ve not quite made the grade at Celtic.

It’s great to see Ross still has a love and admiration for the club after all these years.