The return of the famous Masters tournament is almost upon us.
The iconic six-a-side competition was a Sky Sports staple back in the early 2000s and it’s set to return this summer after a decade-long hiatus.
Celtic will be entering a squad this year and the players involved have been confirmed.
Stiliyan Petrov is the star name, and he’ll be joined by fellow former Hoops Rab Douglas, Kelvin Wilson, Mark Wilson, Kris Commons, Joe Ledley, Simon Donnelly and Carlton Cole.
Of course, availability, fitness and logistics all play a part in who can feature.
But Record Sport are taking such matters out of the equation (within reason) in order to come up with the ultimate Celtic Masters team.
The citreia is simple; players must be 35 or over in the year the tournament takes place and must have worn the green and white.
Obviously, six players can start with two rolling subs to keep the older legs as fresh as possible.
Artur Boruc
Douglas is a fine choice, but the Holy Goalie would certainly add some spice to proceedings.
The big Pole is set to retire this summer, with Legia Warsaw and Celtic to play each other in a friendly to honour him.
At 42, he meets the age criteria and having only just hung up his gloves, would still be more than fit enough to play.
Johan Mjallby
The Swede is a regular on pundit duties for Celtic’s European games and based on how he looks on screen, ‘Big Dolph’ clearly still looks after himself.
Not the most technical, but his sheer size and defensive nous would make him a particularly physical obstacle in the six-a-side arena.
Didier Agathe
Signed off the back of an impressive short-term stint as a striker with Hibs, Martin O’Neill converted the Frenchman into a swashbuckling right wing back who was a staple of the side that reached the 2003 UEFA Cup.
At 46, some of the old pace will naturally have gone, but on a smaller pitch, would no-doubt be an effective weapon.
Versatility comes into play too, and that red-hot streak at Hibs proved Agathe knew where the goals were.
Stiliyan Petrov
The Bulgarian is actually playing this year, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t make the ultimate Celtic sixes.
Possessed a great engine and a natural ability to arrive in the box to score goals, as well as getting beyond the strikers.
Won a well-publicised battle with acute leukaemia after being diagnosed in 2012 and after a career break, incredibly made his return to the Aston Villa first team four years later.
Another regular in the Parkhead TV gantry, it’s great to see the Bulgarain back to full health and still able to play.
Shaun Maloney
The former Hibs boss may have more pressing issues to deal with, such as his next job in management or coaching.
But he’d be ideally suited to Masters football.
Only retired five years, which in Masters terms is nothing. Maloney’s quick feet, low centre of gravity and technique and goal scoring ability make him a prime candidate for the ultimate Celtic six.
Lubo Moravcik
The perfect choice for this type of football.
The Slovakian may have arrived in Glasgow as an unknown under the late Dr Jozef Venglos in 1998, but left a hero four years later.
Moravcik had it all - technique, delivery, the ability to spot a pass and when he scored, they tended to be stunners.
He must have been a nightmare to train against, and you’d do well to get near him in small-sided games, so would likely run the show even when surrounded by other legends.
Mark Viduka
The big Aussie may have claimed he only needed to play at 70 per cent capacity in Scotland, but there’ no denying he was a player.
Strength was just one aspect of his game, with Viduka able to regularly gold the ball up before either rolling his man or playing others in.
Finishing was another strong suit, and as a focal point in six-a-side, there’d likely be few better options for the Hoops.
Henrik Larsson
Do we really need to explain why?
Goals, movement, intelligence, leadership, Larsson ticked every box for a Celtic striker.
Getting on a bit at 50, but you absolutely have to have him in your team.
Alongside Viduka with space limited, it’s a front pairing that would be a nightmare to try and stop, regardless of how much combined experience they’d be up against.
