It isn’t hyperbolic to say that Henrik Larsson is one of the most famous names in Glasgow.
Among a certain generation of Celtic fans, he is worshipped like a God. You might have even heard of Scottish babies being named after him.
It’s little wonder why. We are unlikely to see a player of Larsson’s calibre spend seven of his prime years at Celtic Park again any time soon.
You may have been lucky enough to meet him at some point – but when ex-Celtic man Michael McGovern’s Dad was introduced to him, he didn’t have a clue.
Talk about first impressions…
Ex-Celtic goalkeeper Michael McGovern on meeting Henrik Larsson
McGovern spent seven years on the books at Celtic after being signed from Enniskillen Town United aged 17, but he never made a first-team appearance.
He went on to play for Ross County, where he defeated the Hoops in an infamous Scottish Cup semi-final, as well as Norwich City and Hearts.
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But he still vividly remembers the time he first met the King of Kings… and his Dad had to ask who he was.
He told the Scottish Sun’s one-on-one: “When I signed for Celtic, they brought my Mum and Dad over alongside me, while I was still in school.
“And it was the year when Henrik scored 53 goals. So one of the scouts picked us up from Glasgow Airport, and he drove us to the Bothwell Bridge Hotel.
“And the whole way, he was talking about how Henrik was doing well. Henrik went into our hotel room, and my Dad said, ‘who’s this Henrik guy that they’re talking about?’
“He doesn’t know anything about football. He maybe got a little bit better as the years gone on, but he’s a builder. He loves building houses and restoring houses and things like that, so that’s his passion.
“[One of the few people who didn’t know who Henrik Larsson was]? That’s my Dad.”
Michael McGovern’s Dad didn’t know who Henrik Larsson was
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Henrik Larsson’s 53-goal Celtic season
McGovern mentions Larsson’s 53-goal season, so it would be rude not to look back on it.
Martin O’Neill had just arrived, and there were worries over Larsson’s recovery from his horrific leg break suffered in the season prior. But he very quickly set about alleviating those concerns.
Establishing a formidable partnership with Chris Sutton, he scored his iconic chip in the first derby of the season against Rangers, a hat-trick in the League Cup final against Kilmarnock and his 50th of the season with an effortless finish against Rangers at Ibrox.
As Celtic won just a third treble in their history, Larsson won the European Golden Shoe with his outrageous total.
Even then-Rangers manager Dick Advocaat admitted that Larsson was probably the best striker in the world.
But not good enough for Mr. McGovern to know who he was.
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