Celtic

Celtic pays fitting tribute to late captain Billy McNeill

Published Apr. 27, 2019 2:07 p.m. ET

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — With a 67th-minute goal by a player wearing the No. 5 jersey, Celtic paid a fitting tribute to its late captain Billy McNeill in the 1-0 win over Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.

McNeill died this week at age 79 after a battle with dementia. He was captain of the Celtic side that won the European Cup in 1967 and wore No. 5 for the team.

In Celtic's first match since McNeill's death, Jozo Simunovic, wearing the number so closely associated with its former player, headed in a cross from Callum McGregor after 67 minutes for his first goal of the season.

"The big man might have been looking down on us when we needed a goal," Celtic manager Neil Lennon said.

Lennon, along with Celtic captain Scott Brown, laid a wreath at McNeill's statue outside the stadium before the game.

Celtic moved within a point of an eighth straight top-flight title. Rangers must beat Aberdeen at Ibrox on Sunday to delay its Glasgow rival's title celebrations.

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