In a touching display of respect, a delegation from Spain’s Athletic Club paid homage to Celtic’s one club man ahead of the much-anticipated James Forrest testimonial match.
The Bilbao-based team laid a bouquet of flowers at the statue of Billy McNeill, Celtic’s legendary captain, on the Celtic Way.
💚❤ Representatives of our friends from Bilbao, @AthleticClub laying flowers at the statue of Billy McNeill to honour our Legendary Captain 💐
One Club Man 🟢#CELATH | #COYBIG🍀 pic.twitter.com/rrfxe5EwIY
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) August 1, 2023
A delegation in 2019 [Sky Sports], which included Jose Angel Iribar, Athletic’s legendary goalkeeper and record appearance holder, and board member Aitor Bernardo, awarded Celtic’s greatest ever captain with the One Man Club Award aimed to honour the fidelity and commitment represented by these Celtic heroes.
Their action signifies the shared values between the two historic clubs – commitment, loyalty, responsibility, sportsmanship, and respect.
Considering the backdrop of James Forrest’s testimonial match, this tribute assumes additional significance. Like Billy McNeill, Forrest, often hailed as one of the modern icons of Celtic, is also a one-club man. Forrest has displayed the same loyalty and commitment to Celtic throughout his illustrious career as McNeill once did.
Athletic Club’s One Club Man Award was established with the intent to honour players whose entire professional careers are devoted to a single team, epitomising the values that both Celtic and Athletic Club hold dear. Today’s tribute at the Billy McNeill statue underscored the two clubs’ shared values and recognised the unwavering loyalty of both McNeill and Forrest to Celtic.
