Henrik Larsson has revealed Graeme Souness’ “men against boys” comment gave Celtic extra motivation during one of the most memorable nights of Martin O’Neill’s Seville season.

The comment came during Celtic’s UEFA Cup tie against Blackburn Rovers in 2002, when Souness was in charge of the Premier League side.

Celtic had won the first leg 1-0 at Parkhead thanks to Larsson’s goal, but the tie still had plenty of edge going into the return match at Ewood Park.

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Larsson clearly did not forget what had been said between the two legs.

Speaking on Open Goal, the Swedish legend said: “That was a lot of motivation.

“I heard something about ‘men against boys,’ and I wasn’t too pleased about that one because I think we gave them a good game at Celtic and then completely destroyed them down there.”

That is exactly what Celtic did.

O’Neill’s side went to Ewood Park and won 2-0, sealing a 3-0 aggregate victory and moving on in a UEFA Cup run that would eventually take them all the way to Seville.

He added: “It should teach them a lesson – never talk until the game is finished.”

It remains one of the great Celtic European away nights of that era.

Blackburn had arrived with plenty to say, but Celtic answered on the pitch.

It was not only about winning the tie. It was about making sure Celtic’s level was respected.

The “men against boys” line has followed that fixture ever since, largely because of what happened next.

Celtic did not just edge through. They outplayed Blackburn, silenced the noise, and carried another huge result into a European campaign that still holds a special place in the club’s modern history.