Pat Bonner played GAA with Rosses Rovers, but he began his association football career with local Donegal club, Keadue Rovers, a well-respected junior side in the county and that led to a trial with Leicester City in season 1975/76.

His performances there soon caught the eye of Celtic’s supreme talent spotter and fellow Irishman, Sean Fallon, and in May 1978, he became Jock Stein’s last signing for the club. It was to prove to be another excellent acquisition by Celtic’s greatest ever manager.

Fittingly, Pat Bonner made his Celtic debut on St Patrick’s Day in a 2-1 home win over Motherwell in 1979. However, his real breakthrough is credited as occurring in the following year during Danny McGrain’s testimonial game against Manchester United. After regular shot-stopper, Peter Latchford, suffered a hand injury, the young Irishman was elevated to the starting line-up for the prestigious encounter. He grasped the opportunity with both hands. The fixture finished 0-0 and the keeper produced an impressive performance, and he never looked back after that

When you make over 600 appearances for Celtic, winning trophies would seem a natural outcome. And that was certainly the case with Packie, particularly during the early part of his career. He was instrumental in the championship victories of 1981, 1982, 1986 and 1988, and won three Scottish Cups in 1985, 1989 and 1995 – a back injury kept him out of the 1988 triumph. His solitary League Cup success, secured in 1982, meant he won every domestic honour as a Celtic player.

Lou Macari released him at the end of the 1993/94 season, seeming to spell an end of a long and illustrious association with the club. Former team-mate Tommy Burns took him to Kilmarnock but when he replaced Macari as manager later on that summer, he brought Packie back home as player/coach.

That Indian Summer resulting from the intervention of Burns delivered another 25 appearances for the keeper that not only brought him up level with Alec McNair in the appearance charts, but also presented him with the opportunity to go out on a high.

It restarted for real on Boxing Day, 1995 when he took over the No.1 position from Gordon Marshall. He maintained his place for every single game except the Scottish Cup fourth-round win over Meadowbank Thistle.

This meant he was between the sticks for the final on May 27 when a Pierre van Hooijdonk goal against Airdrie delivered Celtic’s first silverware since 1999. It was the perfect way to bow out as a Celt, helping to win a trophy for his manager and friend, Tommy Burns.

There will always be one international moment which will define Pat Bonner’s career and it came in the penalty-shoot out in the Republic of Ireland’s victory over Romania at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. With the scores tied, he saved Daniel Timofte’s effort which allowed David O’Leary the chance to send Ireland through to the last eight of the competition.

However, in his 253 clean sheets for Celtic, and thousands of saves along the way in 641 appearances, his favourite save is rather less well-known, for it was stopping a free-kick from former-Celt Andy Ritchie of Morton down at Greenock.

He’s also a national hero – a treasure even – for his heroics in 80 appearances for the Republic of Ireland, particularly in that 1990 World Cup in Italy. Indeed, in 2002, he was given the rare honour of appearing on an Irish postage stamp.

PAT BONNER
Goalkeeper 1978-1998
Celtic debut: March 17, 1979; Scottish League, Celtic 2-1 Motherwell

Appearances
League: 483
Scottish Cup: 55
League Cup: 64
Europe: 39
TOTAL: 641

St Patrick's Day debut for Donegal Bhoy