Tributes pour in to 'Jinky'
Lisbon Lion Tommy Gemmell paid tribute to former team-mate Jimmy Johnstone who died at 61 after a long battle with motor neurone disease.
The former Scotland and Celtic winger played alongside Gemmell in the Parkhead team which became the first British side to win the European Cup in 1967 when they beat Inter Milan.
A shocked Gemmell told PA Sport: “It’s a tragedy. We’ve lost a great pal and a colleague.
“He fought the disease with great courage and he stood up to it well.
“Jimmy had the condition for nearly five years. He was deteriorating physically but he’s at peace now.
“On the pitch he had the heart of a lion and the ability of a maestro. He was an unbelievable player, as good any you will see.
“He was voted by the fans as Celtic’s greatest-ever player and he could have played in any team in the world.
“We have lost a magnificent player who created a lot of history for the club. I doubt very much if we’ll see his like again.”
Bertie Auld, another member of the Lisbon Lion side, was stunned by Johnstone’s death.
He said: “I still can’t get to grips with it.
“You know what a player he was but what a person he was as well. He was the kindest guy in the world.
“All the time he was lying there he never complained. He was a poor soul and it must have been demanding for him.
“The last time I saw him was on Friday and like any time you met him, you left feeling a stronger person.
“He was ill but he was his usual self with a smile the size of himself.
“He was so desperate to help other people with the same disease, he wanted a cure for it even though he knew he couldn’t be helped.
“The fans adored him and he will never be out of their hearts.”
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