How 10 Top Ex-Celtic Stars Fared After Moving to the Premier League - Ranked
By George Cannon
Olivier Ntcham could become the latest star to make a big-money move away from Celtic after 90min recently revealed Southampton, West Ham and Everton are interested in the midfielder's services.
The Frenchman would be joining an illustrious list of players to make the journey down south from Parkhead, which includes the likes of Paulo Di Canio, Stiliyan Petrov and Mark Viduka. Recent seasons have seen the former European champions dominate the Scottish Premiership with Neil Lennon's men aiming to make history and record their tenth straight title.
Ntcham has played his part in the last three of those titles, scoring 23 goals in all competitions since arriving from Manchester City for £4.5m. If he decides to leave the Bhoys this summer though he'd add to the most recent set of high-profile stars to depart for a new challenge in England.
Here's how the others who made the move south in the last decade got on in England...
10. Gary Hooper
Hooper arrived at Celtic with a growing reputation after bagging 47 goals in 90 games for Scunthorpe and he only enhanced it during his three-year stint in Scotland.
His predatory instincts formed a prolific partnership with Anthony Stokes, which resulted in 82 goals and 30 assists in just 138 games for the Bhoys. Two league titles followed but things took a turn for the worse once the Englishman returned to his native land.
Norwich won the race for Hooper's signature in 2013 following a successful 11th placed finish in the Premier League but soon came to regret it. He only managed six strikes in 32 top-flight matches and was helpless as the Canaries were relegated back to the Championship.
Hooper forged a decent career for himself in England's second-tier at Carrow Road and then Sheffield Wednesday but never played in the Premier League again. He moved out to New Zealand with the Wellington Phoenix in 2019.
9. Aiden McGeady
McGeady can feel lucky to be placed above Hooper in this particular list. In truth, he only just edges out his former teammate.
The Republic of Ireland international took a strange route to the Premier League having spent three and a half years in Russia with Spartak Moscow between his time at Celtic and Everton.
The Toffees will be glad they only paid £2m for the winger as his return of one goal and four assists in 32 top-flight games left a lot to be desired. Loan spells in the Championship followed with Preston North End and Sheffield Wednesday before the latest chapter of McGeady's nomadic career saw him swap Sunderland for Charlton.
8. Artur Boruc
Nicknamed the 'Holy Goalie' for his devote Catholicism Boruc became a fans favourite during his time at Parkhead. The Polish keeper spent five years at Celtic winning three league titles, a Scottish Cup and two League Cups.
He spent two seasons with Italian side Fiorentina before returning to Britain with Southampton in 2012. Two years later Fraser Forster joined the Saints from Celtic and dislodged the former Legia Warsaw man from between the sticks so Boruc joined Southampton's south coast rivals Bournemouth.
A return of 39 clean sheets in 128 Premier League games isn't a bad return for the now 40-year-old.
7. Stuart Armstrong
Armstrong won four league titles, two Scottish Cups and two League Cups during his time with Celtic. Not a bad return from a player who only cost £540,000.
After winning back-to-back trebles under Brendan Rodgers, the former Dundee United midfielder decided it was time to fulfil his lifelong ambition of playing in the English Premier League.
It took £7m for Southampton to prize him away from Celtic Park in the summer of 2018 but Armstrong struggled to hit the ground running. He struggled for regular game time under the previous manager, Mark Hughes, but his never-ending energy and high work rate suits new boss Ralph Hassenhuttl's style of play perfectly.
Five goals and three assists in 30 Premier League games was a good return for the 27-year-old in 2019/20 and he'll be hoping to improve on those numbers in the next campaign.
6. Fraser Forster
The English shot-stopper has incredibly had four separate spells at Celtic. In July 2012 Forster finally made his stay in Scotland permanent after spending the previous two seasons on loan from Newcastle.
A return to England in 2014 was too good an opportunity to turn down for Forster though and when Southampton offered £11.25m for a player they'd signed for just over £2m only two years ago, Celtic couldn't refuse.
Forster won six England caps during his time on the south coast but was sidelined by Angus Gunn and Alex McCarthy in recent seasons. A return to Celtic on loan materialised last summer and the 6ft 7in keeper helped the club to their ninth straight league title and the Europa League last 32.
He's currently looking for a new club after turning down the chance to re-join the Scottish giants once again where he managed a remarkable 92 clean sheets in just 168 Premiership games.
5. Sung-yeung Ki
Ki joined the Scottish champions from FC Seoul for £2m in January 2010 and made a big impression winning the Premiership and Scottish Cup during his short-lived time in Glasgow.
He attracted the interest of Premier League side Swansea City and won the League Cup during his first season on English shores along with the club's Player of the Year award. Forming a key part of that famous Swans side that contained the imperious Michu, Ki helped the Welsh side to win their first piece of major silverware.
The South Korean went on to feature in 187 Premier League games for Swansea, Sunderland and Newcastle and now at 31 years old plies his trade back at FC Seoul where it all started for him.
4. Kieran Tierney
Tierney made his Celtic debut aged just 17 in 2015 and never looked back. The gritty but supremely talented full-back epitomised what it means to be a Bhoys player and the fans immediately took to their local lad.
He became the most expensive Scottish national and the most expensive player to ever leave the Scottish Premiership when he joined Arsenal in a £25m move 12 months ago.
Injuries restricted the Gunners' new number three to just 24 appearances in all competitions throughout the extended 2019/20 campaign but it didn't stop him making a big impact, especially post lockdown. Tierney was a key component in Arsenal's FA Cup victory providing the assist for Aubameyang's second goal in the semi-final.
Many already rank the 22-year-old amongst the best left backs in the league and he's only going to get better.
3. Shaun Maloney
Born in Malaysia, played in America and now a coach with the Belgian national team; Shaun Maloney's life has been an eventful one.
The diminutive playmaker initially found life in the Premier League quite tough spending just one season at Aston Villa after starting only 11 league matches for the Villans. Maloney returned to Celtic Park where he added to his trophy collection over the next three seasons before trying his hand down south once more.
This time it went a lot better for the Scotsman. 11 goals and 13 assists in 66 top-flight matches for a struggling Wigan Athletic side was a solid return but it was the FA Cup where Maloney ensured his name would never be forgotten.
He provided the corner for Ben Watson's magical 88th minute winner against a free-spending Manchester City at Wembley back in 2013 and made history for all Latics fans.
2. Victor Wanyama
Ask a Celtic fan to name an astonishing Barcelona defeat and they wont name the 8-2 drubbing that Bayern Munich dished out to them last week. No, they'll recall the 2-1 victory at Celtic Park in 2012, a famous win that was kick-started by a Victor Wanyama header.
The Kenyan midfielder had a successful two-year spell in Scotland winning the league title in both of his seasons there as well as a Scottish Cup. After joining for a fee in the region of £1m he was the first player in this list to join - you guessed it - Southampton, for a healthy profit.
The Saints paid £13m for his signature before selling him on for a similar fee to Tottenham three years later. Wanyama did well during his time in the Premier League racking up nearly 200 appearances but decided to call quits on his time in Europe in March.
He's now coached by Thierry Henry at Montreal Impact in MLS.
1. Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk just had to top this particular list. The Dutchman joined Celtic for just £2.5m from Groningen in 2013 and left two years later for £14m following former Hoops star Wanyama to Southampton.
After a successful two and half years at St. Mary's the centre half made a then world-record move for a defender to join Jurgen Klopp's revolution at Liverpool.
Records, trophies and individual acclaim have followed since his arrival with the Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup and Super Cup being added to his Scottish Premiership titles.