LINFIELD defender and passionate Celtic fan Niall Quinn has revealed it was a dream come true to play against his heroes at Parkhead in the Champions League.
The Blues were beaten 4-0 in the second leg of the second round qualifier, going down 6-0 on aggregate, but left-back Quinn says he would happily ‘do it all over again, even if we were chasing shadows!”
The 24-year-old from Glengormley has supported Celtic since he was five. Prior to Wednesday night he had been to Parkhead many times to cheer on the Bhoys.
As kick-off approached he admitted he couldn’t quite believe that he was about to play in the iconic stadium.
“It was crazy, the atmosphere was incredible,” he said.
“I go to Celtic games when I can and being in the tunnel and hearing the music; it was unbelievable but so different from when you’re there as a fan.
“It was a special night. I’ve been going to Celtic matches since I was five years old and getting to play there was just a dream.
“The rest of the lads, including all the Rangers supporters, loved every minute of it as well and I think we came out of it with great credit.
“I would love to do it all over again, even if we were chasing shadows!
“There were butterflies in my stomach in the tunnel. You’re standing there shoulder to shoulder with a team like Celtic and you want to get out there and get the match going, embrace it and take it all in.
“I always looked up to Scott Brown when he joined Celtic and I was going to games. It was special to play alongside him and share the pitch with him.”
Quinn added that he ended up with a special memento from the tie.
“Thankfully we were allowed to swap shirts after the first leg at Windsor and I got Kieran Tierney’s shirt. His was the one I was after,” he said.
When Linfield conceded a goal to Scott Sinclair after just four minutes in the second leg, many inside the ground were thinking it could be a cricket score.
In the end the Irish League champions did well to hold Brendan Rodgers’ Invincibles to four.
“In the second leg it was disappointing to concede so early on. We had built up so much for the game and wanted to keep it tight but I thought we recovered well from there,” said Quinn.
“We had to defend and our backs were against the wall for most of the game but they had to work for real opportunities.
“Paul Smyth was working hard in front of me and Stevie Lowry and Jamie Mulgrew were working hard to break up play in midfield so it was just a matter of us all talking each other through the game.
“We’ll not play another team like Celtic this season, or maybe for many years, so we have to take a lot from it.”
On the qualities of Celtic, Quinn stated: “You don’t go a season unbeaten without being at the top level.
“The amount of internationals they have in their squad is frightening and there was a difference in class on the pitch.
“When you watch on TV you do think, ‘I could do that’ but when you’re on the pitch with them it’s different - they are special.”
Quinn admitted that playing at Parkhead gave him a taste for making it as a professional.
He said: “Everyone has aspirations to get to the top level. Playing twice against Celtic only makes that stronger and I would love to be able to do that.”
