The Swedish legend scored 12 goals in Europe as Martin O'Neill's side reached the final, eventually losing 3-2 to Porto. Larsson has now admitted that Souness' words during Celtic's second-round clash with Blackburn provided him with extra incentive.

Blackburn, managed by former Rangers boss Souness, lost the first leg 1-0 at Parkhead, courtesy of a Larsson goal. Despite the defeat, Blackburn captain Garry Flitcroft revealed what Souness told his players in the dressing room. He said: "The gaffer said it was men against boys in there."

These words reached Larsson, and the Celtic icon has admitted they didn't sit well with him. Speaking on Open Goal, Larsson 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."

Larsson was true to his word, adding another goal at Ewood Park as O'Neill's men won 2-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate. The usually reserved forward couldn't resist a dig post-victory. He said: "It should teach them a lesson – never talk until the game is finished."

Asked by Open Goal host Si Ferry why he had been so outspoken on that occasion, Larsson explained: "Because we beat them. Then you can say those things.

"Not at half-time, you can’t say it."

The victory over Blackburn was just one chapter in an unforgettable European adventure for Celtic. Larsson and his teammates went on to defeat Stuttgart, Liverpool, and Boavista before reaching the UEFA Cup final in Seville.

The striker scored twice against Porto but couldn't prevent Celtic from suffering a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat.