It was a year ago today, on May 26, 2019, that Celtic great Harry Hood passed away at the age of 74. And on this sad anniversary, our thoughts and prayers are with Harry's family.

Between 1969 and '76, Harry made 310 appearances for the Hoops, scoring a very impressive 123 goals - one of only 29 players to have scored over a century of goals for Celtic.

Having started his playing career with Clyde, he had a spell with Sunderland before returning to Clyde, and it was after three seasons with the Bully Wee that Jock Stein brought him to Celtic.

Celtic were blessed with exceptional, world-class strikers at that time, having won the European Cup two years previously, but Harry Hood offered something different to the rest. He had skill, poise and a touch of real class. When given a chance in front of goal, he rarely panicked. The supporters loved him and were happy to immortalise another hero in a varied repertoire of songs.

Hood’s 123 goals in 310 appearances prove that his signing was another masterstroke from Jock Stein. He augmented a vibrant group of forwards and the medals flowed. Indeed, the first of those 123 goals came on his debut, a 3-0 league win over St Mirren at Love Street on March 29, 1969.

Harry won the League Cup that same year to pick up his first piece of silverware as the Hoops beat St Johnstone 1-0 in the final, and he never looked back. When Harry left Celtic in 1976, he took away six Scottish League medals, four Scottish Cup medals and two League Cup medals – a very impressive haul.

He won the league every season from 1968/69 to 1973/74 and lifted the Scottish Cup in 1971, 1972, 1974 and 1975 and the League Cup in 1969 and 1974. In 1970/71, Hood was Celtic’s top scorer with 33 goals.

In a fiercely competitive era, full international honours never came Harry’s way, but his club exploits made up for that disappointment.

Aside from Celtic, he also played for Clyde, Sunderland, Motherwell and Queen of the South. He also had a spell in America after leaving Celtic. Wherever he went, Hood scored goals. That knack never deserted him.

Hood deserves his place in Celtic folklore. He wasn’t a Lisbon Lion or a Quality Street Kid, but he fitted in perfectly at Celtic. He had the X-Factor that helped the team win games and in many ways he was the classic Celtic player. His record of 123 goals and 12 major honours stands comparison with the greats.

Harry Hood - a Celtic great and a top-class goalscorer