“There’s only one Jorge Cadete, he put’s the ball in the nettie. He’s Portuguese and he scores with ease, walking in a Cadete wonderland”…

Jorge Cadete’s time at Celtic was short lived, but such was his ability in front of goal, he left a big impression on the Celtic supporters, and is still regarded as one of the best goal-scorers in the club’s illustrious, unbroken history.

Portuguese international Jorge who turned out for Sporting Lisbon against Celtic in a UEFA Cup tie three years previously, was persuaded to swap Lisbon for Glasgow by Tommy Burns in early 1996, and was quite rightly heralded as a sensational signing.

Jorge however, had to wait many weeks to make his long awaited debut due to deliberate interference from the offices within the SFA. Namely from the governing bodies chief Jim Farry, who would later be dragged through the courts, and held accountable, forcing his resignation thanks to the stubborn determination of Fergus McCann.

Jorge finally made his long awaited debut on a rain soaked April night against Aberdeen at Celtic Park, and the roof was raised when he entered the fray as a second half substitute with the hoops holding a commanding 4-0 lead.

Seconds later, Jorge so nearly brought the house down when he made an instant impact by scoring to make it 5-0 with a cute one on one finish, something that would become his trademark at Celtic. Jorge Cadete had introduced himself in some style to the Celtic supporters.

Jorge had an impressive end to the campaign, scoring five goals in just six appearances, but the club once again fell short on the trophy hunt, leaving us all wondering ‘what if?’ In regard to the meddling Farry who deliberately sabotaged the rubber stamping of the players registration.

The following campaign saw Jorge flourish, as he proved his credentials as a top class striker, scoring an incredible 33 goals in just 43 games, with not a single effort arriving via the penalty spot.

The sight of the long haired Portuguese striker twirling his finger in celebration accompanied by the catchy tune (there’s only one Jorge Cadete, he puts the ball in the nettie, he’s Portuguese and he scores with ease, walking in a Cadete wonderland) became a regular iconic sight and sound, but once again his input wasn’t enough to win silverware, and we had to endure the agony of the now defunct Rangers equalling our nine titles in a row achievement.

Jorge failed to score against the Ibrox side during his short but impressive stay, although he did have the ball in the net in a New Year derby clash at Ibrox, only to see his ‘goal’ ruled out by a linesman whose ’impartiality’ was later questioned by some very reliable claims. The Celtic striker was shown on Sky Sports to be at least a yard onside. Oh for VAR in those days!

It proved to be a vital moment, as it denied us the chance to level the score late on in a game of such importance, with that call allowing the Ibrox side to go on and earn all three points.

Thanks to several replays of the ‘goal’ there was clearly no offside, or indeed any other offence committed for that matter, and the incident was eventually confined to the ‘Honest mistake’ category.

Unfortunately that campaign was the last we would see of Jorge Cadete in a Celtic shirt, as with the club also searching for a new manager after the harsh dismissal of Tommy Burns, Jorge had decided he’d had enough of life in Glasgow and refused to return to the club for pre-season under new boss Wim Jansen.

The Portuguese striker cited ‘stress’ as his reason, and he was soon transferred to Spanish side Celta Vigo for a reported fee of £3 million.

Jorge Cadete’s time at Celtic may have been fleeting, and he may have left on a bitter note, but those who can vividly recall him playing in the famous green and white hoops will remember him as one of the greatest ever strikers to have played for the club.

His overall record of 38 goals in 49 appearances is testament to Jorge Cadete’s prowess in front of goal. Now watch this and enjoy…

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

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