“I gave my tie from the European Cup final to Rod Stewart. He always fancied it and I had a spare one – he wears it all the time now!” Lisbon Lion Jim Craig recalls run-in with Celtic-supporting rockstar

Celtic's victory over Inter Milan in the 1967 European Cup Final was the first time a club from the British Isles had been crowned European champions.

A year later, Sir Matt Busby's Manchester United repeated the feat - but the Bhoys from Parkhead will always be first.

Starting at right-back that day was boyhood Celtic supporter Jim Craig.

Celtic star reveals his European Cup Final gift to Rod Stewart

Craig had initially joined the Scottish giants on amateur forms, in order to complete his schooling at Glasgow University, eventually signing professional terms just two-and-a-half years before the club's triumph in Lisbon.

Celtic's team, made up almost entirely by players born within walking distance of Celtic Park, were applauded for their attacking style against Helenio Herrera's defence-first approach.

Goals from Tommy Gemmell and Stevie Chalmers during the second half ensured of the Scots' victory, after Sandro Mazzola's early spot-kick had given Inter a seventh-minute lead.

Manager Jock Stein and his players were subsequently crowned the 'Lisbon Lions', owing to their heroics coming from behind to lift the European Cup on foreign soil.

While Craig and his teammates from 1967 are iconic figures for Celtic fans, their names are less renowned than the pop stars of the day.

One in particular, a Celtic fan no less, turned out to be the beneficiary of Craig's sartorial generosity later in life.

It was rumoured that glam-rock pop star Rod Stewart had over the years managed to get his hands on a Lisbon Lions tie, issued to the players to be worn on the day of the cup final.

"He always fancied it and I had a spare one," Craig tells FourFourTwo. "He wears it all the time now."

Craig's run-in with the 'You're In My Heart' star is not the only claim to pop culture fame the ex-right-back has, either.

"Rod is another great ambassador for the club, we’ve always had that with people like him and Billy Connolly.

"Billy was in my year at school – although he wasn’t in my class as there was an academic difference. I didn’t tell him that, but remembered him from those days playing football in the playground."