[Player Pics]

The talented Brian McLaughlin was a gifted wide midfielder who never fulfilled the potential he initially showed in the Hoops.

As a Celtic ‘S’ form youth signing he was viewed as one of the most promising and gifted youngsters in Scotland and it was no surprise when the Falkirk born player signed senior terms with the Hoops in August 1971.

Highly regarded by Jock Stein he was given his debut in the 6-2 League Cup thrashing of Clydebank on September 22nd 1971 as a 16 year old and within a couple of years the teenager had forced his way into the first team picture on a regular basis.

However a bad knee injury in September 1973 was a huge setback. Then – after his long lay-off - in the summer of 1975 McLaughlin began to miss training sessions and with Jock Stein, hospitalised after his horror car crash at Beattock, not around to lend a firm guiding hand the player’s talent looked likely to go to waste as McLaughlin went AWOL and fled to relatives in County Donegal.

Celtic arranged a season’s loan at Finn Harps for the player but when McLaughlin returned from Ireland for the start of the 1976-77 season it was clear he was now something of an outcast with little future at Parkhead. So it proved and after 20 appearances and one goal McLaughlin went to Ayr United in November 1977 a deal which saw full back Joe Filippi arrive at Celtic.