SPL: McNamara - Current Bhoys in Lions shadow

Jackie McNamara admits it will be difficult for the current Celtic side to match the achievements of the Lisbon Lions, despite winning the Treble.

A 3-0 Scottish Cup final win against Hibernian at Hampden Park on Saturday allowed Martin O’Neill to become the first Parkhead manager to complete the domestic clean sweep since Jock Stein’s reign in 1969.

Two years earlier, Stein’s Celtic team claimed the most coveted prize in the club game when they won the European Cup in Lisbon and McNamara believes that achievement sets the Lions aside from the team of 2001.

He said: ‘‘To be honest, you don’t really think that you could be making history, I was just thinking about winning and it’s the greatest feeling to lift trophies.

‘‘Everyone is always going to go back to the Lisbon Lions, which is natural, and it’s always going to be difficult to equal that, it just gets harder and harder.

‘‘But to win the Treble is a good record for us.’’

McNamara was an unlikely hero when he replaced the injured Lubo Moravcik and fired Celtic ahead after Hibs looked like they might just sneak the opener.

That goal helped to settle the Bhoys and Henrik Larsson made sure of victory when he doubled Celtic’s advantage before adding the third from the penalty box.

But McNamara admits he was lucky to net after talking a wild swing at the ball.

‘‘Deep down I thought I would be starting on the bench and that they would start with Lubo and that he might produce something,’’ said McNamara.

‘‘I was just warming up behind the goal and when I was shouted over, I was wondering what was happening until I saw Lubo limping off.

‘‘For the goal, I could see from the angle of the ball that the keeper wasn’t getting it, so I just swung my club foot at it and it was as good feeling.

‘‘We know next year it’s going to be very hard and our main aim will be to win the league again, but we also want to do well in Europe.

‘‘When you look at the teams that we are potentially going to be playing against, there are no easy games.’’