The best Celtic XI that nearly was as Mitoma confession sees him join Giroud and Rivaldo in ultimate almost club
The Japan superstar admits he was close to Parkhead and he's not the first big name to miss out on a switch to Glasgow.
From Henrik Larsson to Virgil van Dijk – Celtic haven't been short of bonafide superstars over the years.
But there have been a few near misses as well with a litany of world class talents who have ALMOST put pen to paper on signing for the Parkhead side. And Brighton star turn Kaoru Mitoma has revealed how close he came to joining Kyogo, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda in Glasgow but on the ball Brighton won out.
And Mitoma's 'almost' moment offers a chance to take a trip down memory lane and recall some of the eye–popping talents who decided against joining Celtic for a host of reasons – from the pull of the English Premier League to Martin O'Neill turning their blood pressure up with an outside the box offer to prove their worth. Spoiler Alert: It didn't work. Join us for the ultimate Celtic starting XI that nearly was which includes a bench that would be the envy of every club on the planet.
Brad Friedel
The American proved one of the best Premier League keepers of his era and he was almost a Celt during the Liam Brady era in 1993. Shay Given is another who could have grabbed the gloves but the Irish hero at least cut his teeth within the youth team. A solid base to start.
(Image: Getty)1 of 15Seamus Coleman
The first of the trial Bhoys and Coleman would have proved inspired business when he earned a chance in 2009. But off to Everton and a career as a Toffees legend. His love for the Hoops remain and was straight on the wind up when Nathan Patterson joined Everton from Rangers.
(Image: Getty Images)2 of 15Sol Campbell
This is a doubler. Campbell was first eyed in an audacious free transfer before choosing Arsenal when leaving Tottenham and was back on Neil Lennon's radar in 2010. But a protracted decision from the England legend put the kibosh on him donning Hoops after leaving the Gunners for the second time. He even spoke to our own Keith Jackson when he visited Parkhead.
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