The 5 best German players in Celtic history

Most notably, Celtic are known for their development of Scottish players. In fact, as the biggest club in Scotland, most of the nation's best of all-time have passed through Parkhead at some stage. However, the bigger the club has grown, the more they have welcomed players from all over the globe.

Scottish football has taken great influence from German football. Like most other European clubs, Celtic have been influenced, most notably with Germany being the early adopters of players within the "sweeper style."

So, Celtic have naturally gravitated towards German players from time to time. And there have been quiet a few who have pulled on the iconic Hoops over the years.

With that said, looking through the historical archives of Celtic football club, here are the best German players to play for Celtic at some stage in their careers...

The best German players to play for Celtic

5. Jeremy Toljan

Jeremy Toljan initially impressed during his short loan spell in Glasgow. The Stuttgart-born right-back came into Celtic to help out during an injury crisis and for that, he should be thanked. Despite showing potential to be a good player, the Hoops were in no rush to sign him permanently as he was only viewed as a short-term fix. He established himself as a regular for Sassuolo after departing Parkhead.

4. Nicolas Kühn

Nicolas Kühn joined Celtic earlier this year. While he is still relatively new to life in Glasgow, the former German youth international standout has settled in well. Playing a rotational role, he made 14 Scottish Premiership appearances in the second half of last season, contributing to the club's league and Scottish Cup double.

3. Moritz Jenz

They say never to fall in love with loan players but Celtic supporters were hard-pressed to not grow fond of Moritz Jenz during his short stay on loan. The German centre-back made a solid impact on the team upon arrival and he soon became a fan favourite.

However, when Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers were both fit, Jenz found himself out of the starting XI. Eventually, his loan stint was cut short and he left in the middle of the season. He has gone on to achieve success after leaving and currently plays for Wolfsburg.

2. Andreas Thom

One of the most underrated Celtic players of all time, Andreas Thom knew how to orchestrate an attack. He often showed his incredible footballing intelligence by making the play flow through him.

Signed from Bayer Leverkusen for a transfer fee around £2.2 million, a then club record fee, he ended up being a magnificent coup for the Hoops, winning both the Scottish League Cup and the league during his three years in Glasgow.

1. Andreas Hinkel

Andreas Hinkel became a mainstay in the Celtic lineup when he was signed from Sevilla in early 2008. The right-back played for the Hoops for more than three seasons, although he missed the entire 2010/11 campaign through injury, adding plenty of defensive solidity to the side. He eventually left in 2011 after the expiry of his contract with a Scottish Premier League and a League Cup to his name.