Real name	Lubomir Moravcik
Height	5.08
Weight	12.00
Date of birth	22-06-1965
Place of birth	Slovakia
Position	Midfielder
Nationality	Slovakia
Nickname	Lubo

There have been very few players in the recent history of Scottish football quite as wonderfully gifted as the man known to Celtic fans simply as ‘Lubo’.

Born in Nitra, Slovakia Lubomir Moravcik was in the veteran stage of his career when he was brought to Celtic Park in November 1998 by then boss Josef Venglos.

The signing of the midfielder from German side Duisburg for just £200,000 was met with indifference from the Celtic support and howls of derision from a Scottish media who were soon made to look rather foolish indeed.

Aged 33 when he arrived in Glasgow, Moravcik had played most of his club football in France and despite being highly rated there and in his homeland he was very much an unknown in Scotland.

That would all change when Lubo made his debut in a 6-1 demolition of Dundee at Celtic Park on November 7th. The Slovakian midfield ace displayed an array of sublime touches and suddenly the Celtic support sensed that here was a very special talent.

The magnificence of Moravcik was confirmed in the sweetest fashion just a fortnight later when he scored twice and inspired his new club to a 5-1 thrashing of old rivals Rangers at Parkhead. The Legend that is Lubo was born.

Moravcik seemed to have it all. Quick feet, wonderful vision and an eye for goal. Equally comfortable with his left or right foot Lubo possessed a level of skill not seen at Celtic Park – or in Scotland – for many years. His tricks and flicks were a joy to watch but in addition to being a supreme football entertainer Moravcik had a real cutting edge to his game and was much more than just a show pony.

Despite his abundance of ability Lubo had never won a major trophy in his long career but that was to change at Celtic with the Slovakian playing a major part in securing honours for the Bhoys and re-establishing the side as the dominant force in Scotland.

It might have been the pragmatic skills of inspirational manager Martin O’Neill which ultimately toppled Rangers from their perch but it was the skills of Lubo and Henrik Larsson which ensured they did it with panache and style.

Nowhere was this better illustrated than at Ibrox on April 29 2001. Celtic had already sealed the Championship and Rangers had made it known they were determined to show the Bhoys that they were really still top dogs. Moravcik
slaughtered them in their own backyard. He scored two wonderful second-half goals in a 3-0 triumph in which during the second 45 minutes the Lubo inspired Celts simply, mercilessly, destroyed their vastly outclassed rivals.

Celtic won the treble and the next season – Lubo’s last in the Hoops – retained the league as Moravcik finally had a chance to parade his skills on the biggest stage – the Champions League. He didn’t disappoint but even he couldn’t prevent Celtic’s unlucky exit from the group stage.

Lubo left Celtic in the summer of 2002 for JEF Ichihara in Japan after four years, 129 appearances and 35 goals. While at Celtic Park he won two league titles, a Scottish Cup and a League Cup.

But even the most impressive of statistics can never do justice to the skills of Moravcik. He was a joy to watch and the memory of his performances will live long in the minds of the Celtic support. A legend

Club	From	To	Fee	League		FA Cup		League cup		Other
Celtic	27-10-1998	01-06-2002	£ 300000	75 (19)	29	9 (1)	1	8 (2)	2	11 (4)	3

Pictures

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Quotes
"I don't know what I find more laughable; the fact that Celtic cannot find £500,000 from their biscuit tin to sign a proven talent like John Spencer, or the fact tath they then spent £300,000 on one of Dr. Jo's old pals, the unknown Lubomir Moravcik"
(Hugh Keevins, Sunday Mail; Nov 1998)
(how wrong can any man be? Hugh what a dipstick!)

'He is the type of player that makes people come to watch football.'
Rangers midfielder Ronald de Boer on Lubo Moravcik, 2002