Celtic cult hero joins tenth Scottish team as ex star makes shock transfer in major boost to club's promotion push
Ex Hoops defender also counts the likes of Hibs, St Johnstone and Livingston on his CV
A former Celtic and Hibs star has signed for his latest club in Scottish football as his playing career continues in the lower leagues.
Efe Ambrose might now be 37 but he still a strong appetite for the game and Scottish football in particular, with the central defender first arriving in Glasgow’s east end in the summer of 2012 from Israeli Premier League side Ashdod.
Since then, he has turned out for Hibs, Livingston, St Johnstone, Morton, Dunfermline Athletic, Queen of the South and south of the border at Derby County, Bury and Workington Town across a varied career. He was most recently spotted in the colours of West of Scotland Football League side Glasgow United, previously known as Shettleston Juniors.
A cult hero at both Parkhead and Easter Road thanks to his spectacular somersault goal celebration plus sturdy performances, the 51-capped Nigerian international is to remain in the Third Division of the WOSFL. He has been announced as a new signing at Port Glasgow and could make his debut against his former club this weekend.
Who does Efe Ambrose play for now?
The ninth-tier outfit - nicknamed ‘The Undertakers’ - announced Ambrose had put pen to paper in a social media post on Facebook on Wednesday evening.
Ambrose’s new club, who play their home games at Parklea and are managed by Tam Jamieson, have played 12 league games so far this season and are in the hunt to secure promotion to the Second Division ahead of a 26/27 season restructure that will see a clutch of clubs promoted into a revamped Lowland League split into east and west divisions.
Ambrose joined the Hoops in August 2012 under Neil Lennon, spending five seasons with the champions before signing for top-flight rivals Hibs, initially on loan before signing permanently that year in 2017. At Celtic, the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner won six major honours; the Scottish Premiership title four times, one Scottish Cup and one League Cup across 168 appearances.
He admitted back in 2022 that his old boss Lennon had been a prominent figure throughout his career and a key factor in his decision to eventually leave Celtic for Hibs.
He said: “I was happy to come back to Celtic because they welcomed me back, it felt like I was coming home. But I was happy that Hibs and Neil Lennon called on me.
Efe Ambrose on Celtic under Neil Lennon
“He’d brought me to Scotland and the first season with him was brilliant, we had a great time. In football you never forget the good times and that’s why I am here today.
“He knows me better than anyone, how to get the best out of me and I am here to do my best to help the team to get to the Premiership, that’s the most important thing.”