They played for Celtic – Thomas Gravesen
Some footballers are as daft as a brush, and others are just plain eccentric…
Thomas Gravesen is cut from the cloth of the latter, as he certainly isn’t daft, with his current status as a successfully renowned businessman who boasts a wealth portfolio exceeding £100 million, proof of his undoubted intelligence…
The Danish international was regarded as a huge coup when he was signed by Gordon Strachan in a reported £2 million deal from European heavyweights Real Madrid on 30th August 2006. That was a summer transfer window that also saw Gordon Strachan sign Dutch international striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and the eyebrow raising capture of former Rangers striker Kenny Miller.
Thomas Gravesen made an instant impact after scoring his first goal for the club in a 2-0 win over Rangers just a month after arriving in Glasgow, the very same game that seen Kenny Miller grab his first goal in the Hoops and how he celebrated with an epic badge kissing sprint inside Celtic Park.
He notched yet another derby goal in a 1-1 draw at Ibrox in December, but as the season progressed he would find himself being displaced in the side at the expense of Dutch youngster Evander Sno.
At the start of the following season, the Dane signed a season long loan deal with former club Everton after rumblings of a falling out with Gordon Strachan, who publicly admitted that he didn’t believe that the midfielder showed enough determination or desire to fight for his place in the starting XI.
Gravesen returned to Celtic the following summer, but again found himself out of the picture under Gordon Strachan, leading to the Dane being freed by the club in September 2009, and he soon took the decision to retire from the game after failing to find a club.
Thomas Gravesen’s hat-trick in Paisley
A few months later the former Everton midfielder would score a hat trick against St Mirren at Love Street, the first treble of his professional career.
The Dane would then make the transition from eccentric footballer to eccentric multi-millionaire, thanks to some shrewd deals in the business world.
All in all Thomas Gravesen made 29 appearances for Celtic, scoring six goals whilst winning a league title and Scottish Cup.
So many funny Gravesen stories to be told by former teammates at Celtic
He wasn’t exactly a hit in the hoops, but he was far from being regarded as a flop. It’s probably fair to stay that he’s best remembered for his eccentric behaviour, with many years later, several ex-teammates, notably Aiden McGeady, are still regularly recalling hilarious tales of the Dane’s time at the club.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
