Exclusive: Big Celtic favourite dubbed 'Brilliant' by Lennon to make final start for club today

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Published on:

25 May 2019, 3:07 am

Mikael Lustig is set to make his final appearance for Celtic today despite a gushing recent appraisal from Neil Lennon, Football Insider can reveal.

The Sweden international is out of contract next month and has been linked with a return to his homeland amid reported interest from Malmo and AIK Stockholm.

A Celtic source has told Football Insider that the club are in the market for a new senior right-back this summer and have no plans to offer Lustig a new deal.

The 32-year-old is set to be named in the starting XI on the right side of defence for today's Scottish Cup final against Hearts at Hampden Park in what would be his last game in the shirt he has worn with such distinction.

Lustig is a huge fans favourite for his role in the club's total domination of Scottish football over the last decade.

Along with Scott Brown and James Forrest, he is one of three players at the club who have been involved in all eight of the club's consecutive league title-winning campaigns.

Lustig has made 275 appearances for Celtic since his 2012 arrival from Norwegian club Rosenborg, including 43 in all competitions in the current campaign.

As well as winning eight league crowns at the Glasgow giants, he has also won four Scottish League Cups and will lift his fourth Scottish Cup if the team defeat Hearts to secure an unprecedented treble treble today.

Lennon has hailed the Swede as one of the best signings Celtic have made and claimed he is a “brilliant player and a brilliant boy”.

In other Celtic news, it can be REVEALED that a senior Hoops star has cleared out his locker after being given his marching orders ahead of Scottish Cup final.

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