Former Celtic striker Pierre van Hooijdonk has recalled the moment he was spat on by a Rangers fan during his spell at Parkhead.

The Dutchman, 49, spent two years in Glasgow as a Hoops player and enjoyed some happy moments on the pitch including his famous winner in the 1995 Scottish Cup final.

But it was off the field where he found the rivalry with Rangers to be 'dangerous' for him.

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"In Glasgow, I was easy to recognise: tall and dark," he told the Guardian.

"I got some trouble from Rangers fans; once at some traffic lights a boy opened my car door and spat at me. 

"It sucked the energy out of me.

“I was single for six months there but didn’t go out because I had to be careful. 

"If I went to a concert, I would take a taxi and crouch down in the back seat as we went past the pubs. 

"Even when I was playing for Fenerbahce with the Galatasaray fans or for Benfica with the Porto fans, the danger was never as bad."

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Van Hoojidonk famously fell out with chairman Fergus McCann during his time at Celtic.

And the attacker explained how it was over broken promises about wages.

He added: "Our best players were on five‑figure sums per week and I was not. 

"McCann said if I did well he would raise my salary. 

"I became top scorer but he never offered me the same money as the others. I’m a man of my word."