Premier League football: How Celtic stars fare in the rankings

The Scottish Premier League is well known for having two main teams: Celtic and Rangers. It doesn’t have quite the dynamism of the EPL, however, these two teams have been known to have had plenty of top players who have made a huge impact on the Premier League after leaving. 

For the latest predictions there’s always info online – sites such as BoyleSports make it possible for fans to engage with the Scottish Premier League and dozens of leagues across Europe and the world. Here’s look at some of the best football players in the Premier League that have come over from the Scottish leagues. 

Number five: Sung-Yeung Ki

Ki went over to Celtic from FC Seoul in January 2010 for £2m and made quite the impression, winning the Scottish Cup and Premiership in his short time there.

This attracted the interest of the Premier League’s Swansea City, and he helped the team to the League Cup during his first season. He also won the Player of the Year award, and became part of the famous Swans side along with Michu. The player was key in the team getting their first ever piece of major silverware.

He played in 187 Premier League games for Swansea, Sunderland and Newcastle, but turned back to FC Seoul, where his journey has gone full circle.

Number four: Kieran Tierney

Tierney made his debut at Celtic when he was just 17 and never looked back. He is gritty and talented, and he epitomised exactly what it meant to be a Bhoys player, endearing himself to fans right from the start.

He soon became the most expensive Scottish national player – and the most valuable player to leave the SPL when he signed for Arsenal for a cool £25 million. Unfortunately, he has suffered injuries and this affected how many games he could play. Nonetheless, he still made an impact and was a key player in Arsenal’s FA Cup win, providing the assist for Aubameyang’s second goal in the semi-final. He’s still young, and if he remains fit, things look set to keep getting better for the left-back.

Number three: Shaun Maloney

Shaun Maloney has been around. He was born in Malaysia, played in the US and now coaches the Belgian national team.

He didn’t really take too well to the Premier League at the start and spent just one season playing for Aston Villa before heading over to Celtic. He enjoyed three trophy wins there before trying his luck in England again. This time was a lot better! 

He played for a struggling Wigan Athletic, scoring 11 goals with 13 assists. However, he really made his name in the FA Cup Final, ensuring his place in history.

He took the corner that led to Ben Watson’s 88th-minute winner against the newly rich Man City team in 2014, and made history for the team.

Number two: Victor Wanyama

Wanyama is perhaps most famous for helping Celtic to their 2012 victory over Barcelona. The Kenyan midfielder had a successful two years for the club, helping them to the league title twice and the Scottish Cup. He then went over to Southampton.

They paid £13 million for the star but sold him three years later to Tottenham for a similar sum. He performed very well during his time in the EPL, with over 200 appearances. However, he left Europe this year to play for MLS team Montreal Impact under Thierry Henry.

Number one: Virgil Van Dijk

Liverpool fans will know Van Dijk as being one of the best defenders in the world. After leaving Celtic, he headed over to Southampton – and then on to Klopp’s world-class revolutionary side at Anfield. From there his name would blow up around the globe.

Still a key player on the team, he has broken records, won trophies and enjoyed personal acclaim. He and his team have enjoyed Premier League success, Champions League wins, Club World Cup and Super Cup wins – and that’s in addition to his Scottish Premier League titles from Celtic.

The editorial unit