Few, if any, clubs in the world share a connection with a city that is not their own in the way that Celtic is forever linked with Portugal’s capital, Lisbon.

It is a city that has held a special and central place in the story of Celtic since that famous silver-studded night at the Estadio Nacional on May 25, 1967, with generations of supporters making the pilgrimage to that most iconic Celtic site in the Jamor Valley ever since to remember the triumph of the Lisbon Lions.

A little under 60 years on from that glorious day, the Hoops are back in Lisbon this evening to face Benfica in the UEFA Europa League in what is set to be a tough test for Martin O’Neill’s men.

After arriving in Portugal last night (Wednesday), captain Callum McGregor spoke to CelticPlayer and said that it is an honour to be representing Celtic competitively in a city that means so much to the club.

“It’s such an iconic place for the club,” McGregor said. “I was speaking today actually about how we’ve not really had the pleasure of playing in Portugal or against any of the big Portuguese teams during my time.

“It’ll be nice to come here and be part of that, and be part of that sort of fixture tonight.

‘It’s such a special place for the club and it’s an honour to be here and be competing in Europe for Celtic.’

“We’re up against a really tough opponent with really big quality, but there’s no reason why we can’t come here, impose our game style and make it a difficult night for them.

“As always, we’re here to win, to get three points and to claw them back after our last Europa League game.”

Callum McGregor: It's an honour to compete for Celtic in Lisbon