The Grateful Eight

Mikael Lustig thrives on iconic celebrations, playing in high-pressure games and winning trophies.

MIKAEL Lustig knows what it takes to win a Scottish Premiership medal – he now has eight of them, of course – and even though his first title back in 2012 was special, the Swedish internationalist believes this season’s title triumph feels even better.

The 32-year-old defender picked a great day to score his second goal of the season, when he produced a superb diving header finish from a Callum McGregor cross five minutes before the break, to give Celtic a 1-0 lead over Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

Second-half goals from Jozo Simunovic and Odsonne Edouard delivered a 3-0 win and the required points to secure an eighth league title in a row, and Lustig was delighted to play his part at a ground where he made his Celtic debut back in March 2012.

Speaking after the game, Lustig said: “I’ll probably celebrate this title more now. The first title was really special, but I think this one is even more special.

“It feels brilliant. I remember I made my Celtic debut here at Pittodrie a few years ago, so this was a special moment.

“We started quite well but then we let them in and, to be fair to Aberdeen, they had three or four really good chances, so the goal came at the perfect time. It was a great cross and a good header as well!

“It gets to near the end of the season and we’ve almost got our hands on the trophy, but we knew we needed to get over the line. Everyone has worked really hard defensively and now we’re scoring goals as well, so it’s nice.