European nights under the bright lights at Celtic Park are always special. Every Hoops supporter will agree with that statement. And it is not just the fans either. Players who have been lucky enough to witness that atmosphere from the pitch have had nothing but praise for it over the years. In fact, there are many legends who consider it to be the very best.
Rio Ferdinand is someone who falls under that category. Over the course of his career, he played in some of the biggest games in football and in plenty of iconic stadiums.
Manchester United might be struggling these days but back when Ferdinand was wearing the red jersey, they were one of the best teams on the planet. And he got to witness what it is like playing in front of the Parkhead crowd first-hand.
As reported by GIVEMESPORT, while speaking with TNT Sports about the best Champions League atmosphere, Ferdinand named Celtic Park. He said:
"I always say it, the best atmosphere I played in was at Celtic Park. I remember before the game Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick standing in front of me and just as we were kicking off, the referee blew the whistle and the whole crowd just went ‘rahhh!’"
Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand makes superb Celtic Park claim
Of course, Ferdinand is not the only high-profile player who has had great things to say about the Celtic Park atmosphere. The likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Kaka, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and several others have praised it over the years as well.
Celtic will be hoping to make the most of that atmosphere when they welcome BSC Young Boys in the Champions League next. If the Hoops are to make it to the next round of the competition, they must win that game.
As things stand, Celtic are sitting at 21st in the Champions League table. They have to finish in the top 24 to have a chance of making the playoffs. So, a win at this point in time could prove to be invaluable for them. On the other hand, BSC YB sit bottom and have not picked up a single point after the first six games.