Celtic 'great' and Lisbon Lion John Hughes has died at the age of 79

Celtic legend John ‘Yogi’ Hughes, who was part of the club’s iconic European Cup winning team in 1967, has died at the age of 79.

The Parkhead club announced the passing of the Lisbon Lion on Monday night.

Hughes spent 12 years as a Celtic player, winning numerous trophies and was an important part of the team that made British history by winning club football’s biggest prize.

The forward, who won eight international caps for Scotland, made 416 appearances for Celtic, scoring 189 goals – which made him one of only 29 players to score over a century of goals for the club.

He won seven league titles and nine domestic cups as a player at Parkhead.

Everyone at Celtic Football Club is extremely sad to hear of the passing of Lisbon Lion, John ‘Yogi’ Hughes, who has died at the age of 79, and the thoughts and prayers of everyone at the club are with John's family and friends at this extremely sad time.
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) August 1, 2022

The Glasgow club paid tribute to Hughes on their website, dubbing him an “all-time great”.

They wrote: “Everyone at Celtic Football Club is extremely sad to hear of the passing of Lisbon Lion, John ‘Yogi’ Hughes, who has died at the age of 79, and the thoughts and prayers of everyone at the club are with John’s family and friends at this extremely sad time.

“John spent 12 years at Celtic between 1959 and ’71, playing his part in a golden era for the club and establishing himself as an all-time great in the green and white Hoops. In 416 appearances, he scored an impressive 189 goals, making him one of only 29 players to have scored over a century of goals for Celtic.

“He made his debut in a League Cup tie against Third Lanark in August 1960, when he scored in a 2-0 win for the Hoops, while his 189th goal also came in a League Cup tie, this time in a 3-0 away win against Ayr United in August 1971.

“His list of honours is an impressive one – seven league titles, five League Cups, four Scottish Cups and, of course, the European Cup in 1967 when he was part of the legendary squad which became the Kings of Europe, playing his part in many of the ties on the road to Lisbon.

“There are so many highlights from John’s time in the Hoops, including the famous occasion where he scored five goals in an 8-0 win over Aberdeen at a frosty Celtic Park wearing a pair of ‘sannies’ in January 1965.

“He played in the 1965 Scottish Cup final when Celtic beat Dunfermline Athletic at Hampden, a triumph that heralded a period of unprecedented success under Jock Stein.

“And later that year, when Celtic won the League Cup, it was John Hughes who scored both goals in the final as the Hoops beat Rangers 2-1.

“On the European stage, he also scored a famous goal in the European Cup semi-final second leg victory over Leeds United at Hampden, in front of a record crowd of 136,505, a result which saw Celtic reach their second final in three years.

“John Hughes left Celtic in 1971, joining Crystal Palace, while he also had a short spell with Sunderland before retiring. He was also capped eight times by Scotland, scoring one goal.

“John ‘Yogi’ Hughes was hugely popular amongst the Celtic support, who always recognised him as one of their own, and the whole Celtic Family will mourn his passing.”