Celtic legend Charlie Nicholas claims Dermot Desmond once warned him: You don’t want to make me your enemy
The ex-Hoops hitman lifted the lid on his 'full and frank exchange' with the major shareholder back in 2010
CELTIC legend Charlie Nicholas has claimed Dermot Desmond once warned him: You DON’T want to make me your enemy.
The outspoken Sky Sports pundit has revealed details of a bust-up with the Hoops major shareholder after he accused Desmond of treating the club “like a toy”.
Nicholas alleges that the Irish billionaire claimed he would “run him out of the country”.
The former Hoops hitman was back in Glasgow yesterday helping to promote an evening with Lisbon Lion Bertie Auld in the city in April.
And Nicholas — who bagged 124 goals for the Hoops from 236 matches over two spells — lifted the lid on his ‘full and frank exchange’ with Desmond back in 2010.
The 55-year-old said: “Dermot doesn’t like taking the blame and he doesn’t like people picking on him because he phoned me to dig him up about that.
“But it is what it is and I won’t shy away from it.
“I thought it was a wind-up and he had to identify where we’d met, once before in our lives, which was before the 1999 European Cup Final in Barcelona.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was a full and frank exchange. I got a SEVERE warning.
“It was about me saying that he was treating the football club like a toy — and after that phone call I believed he’d thrown his toys out the pram!
“He basically came on and threatened to run me out the country — even though I was in Portugal.
“He insinuated ‘Don’t be my enemy’ which, of course, I’ve NO wish to be!
“He was very frank and we actually agreed on a few issues, including how easy it is for the modern footballers to win the title without being harassed — and some players who had disappointed him by not being able to qualify for the Champions League.
“We had some agreements and some disagreements. I enjoyed the experience and I’m happy to say I’m still in my job. I’ve not seen him since. It was never a shouting match. It was quite forceful from his point of view.”
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Nicholas’ comment also sparked flak from then Celts boss Neil Lennon who said: “If he’s criticising Dermot about his input into this club then he hasn’t got a clue what he’s talking about.
“I’ve been here ten years and I’ve never seen Charlie Nicholas walk in through the door. So what he knows about this club I do not know.”
Ex-Arsenal and Scotland idol Nicholas — who also claims Rangers won't topple Celtic in his LIFETIME — added: “Some ex-Celtic players don’t play the party line — and I told him I don’t do party lines, that’s not my style.
“My Celtic upbringing was about being open and that’s what Glasgow is for me. And if you don’t like it, that’s your opinion. A man of his prominence and the issues he had with me I took on board.
“But I don’t do ‘glove puppet’. I just don’t do it. He did finish by saying ‘You don’t want to be my enemy’. And I totally agree with that!”