Enrico Annoni, Celtic’s Italian cult hero

Enrico Annoni was signed by Tommy Burns in early 1997 and would go on to be something of a cult hero amongst the Celtic support. The defender joined fellow Italian Paolo Di Canio at Celtic Park when he signed from Roma for a fee of around £300,000.

Enrico was known as a solid defender who it was hoped would bring great strength and experience to a fragile backline, something that was a bit of an achilles heel during Tommy’s tenure as manager. With his shaven head and physique, he certainly looked every inch a hardened player, something we badly lacked in that era.

His first few months weren’t exactly something to shout about as the club lost out on the title and watched on as Rangers claimed nine in a row. It was the next season that Enrico made his presence known, and despite playing only 16 games in all competitions he made a massive impact as we won the League cup and stopped the dreaded ten by winning the league.

Indeed his brilliant performance in the new year derby at Celtic Park was vital as the hoops ran out 2-0 winners in one of the most important wins of that campaign. Enrico put in a decent shift and didn’t give Brian Laudrup a sniff the entire game. It was an impressive display by Celtic’s Italian cult hero.

Enrico would of course depart the club the following year, and despite making only 40 appearances in all competitions for the club, he’s fondly remembered by Celtic supporters.