Hailing from County Cork, boyhood Celtic fan Colin Healy would have undoubtedly been in dreamland when he made his senior Celtic debut…
However it’s a game that he will most likely want to forget, as it was the painful 0-3 home drubbing at the hands of Rangers FC in May 1999, as we suffered the pain of our bitter rivals clinching the title at our own ground. Better times were just around the corner for Celtic supporters.
A battling box-to-box midfielder
Colin Healy was a battling box-to-box midfielder who was thrown into the mix by Dr Jozef Venglos with Celtic already 0-2 down. The atmosphere was already one of severe toxicity considering what was at stake, so it wasn’t exactly the ideal time for an untried youngster to be making his Celtic debut.
He shrugged off that early disappointment by playing in the club’s next run of fixtures, which Celtic won, so those games would have done his confidence the world of good.
When John Barnes arrived in the summer of 1999, Colin didn’t really get a chance under the Englishman, and was restricted to reserve football, with his first team opportunities looking bleak.
Kenny Dalglish handed Healy a run of games
After Barnes’ dismissal, Colin found himself back in the first team fold as interim boss Kenny Dalglish handed him a run of games, and even better for the young Irishman, he bagged his first goal for the club in a league clash with Dundee.
Martin O’Neill took a shine to Colin
When Martin O’Neill arrived in the summer of 2000, it was a clean slate for everyone in the squad, and despite having an abundance of midfielders, Martin took a shine to Colin whom he named in his squad in more then a few occasions, and the 14 league games he played that term ensured him a league winners medal as Martin’s side swept all before them in Scotland.
Healy played his part in Celtic’s first treble since 1969
Colin would also win a League Cup gong after playing in the 3-0 Henrik Larsson inspired win over Kilmarnock at Hampden Park. The young Irishman also scored a goal against Hearts at Tynecastle in a dramatic 5-2 quarter final extra time win in the same competition, so was very much a vital figure in that successful cup campaign.
He unfortunately missed out on a Scottish Cup winners medal to complete a full set of honours, as he didn’t take part in any of the matches in that campaign. But still, it was a very satisfactory season for the young midfielder.
Despite being a talented player, Colin failed to command a regular place in the Celtic midfield, which was understandable due to the likes of Neil Lennon, Paul Lambert, Lubo Moravcik, and Stan Petrov all being in contention, and he would soon join English side Coventry City on loan, before making his stay down south permanent in 2003 when he joined Sunderland.
Healy won 13 caps for Republic of Ireland
Getting regular first team football paid off for Colin, as he soon made his international debut and he would go on to represent the Republic of Ireland on 13 occasions.
After leaving the Black Cats in 2006, Colin would become something of a career journeyman playing for several English clubs. He even had a couple of spells back in Scotland with Livingston, and Falkirk before ending his career with his hometown side Cork City.
Colin Healy made 48 appearances for Celtic, scoring three goals, which might not seem a lot. But the youngster from County Cork achieved a life long dream of playing for Celtic…
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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