Where the 2003 Celtic team Jose Mourinho watched vs Rangers are now including pundit, agent and hardman

Jose Mourinho is preparing to watch Rangers in action again as his side prepare to make the trip to Ibrox in the Europa League. Fenerbahce have a 3-1 deficit to overturn but he has recalled another time he was at Rangers’ ground.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s clash, Mourinho told BBC Sport: “My best memory here of Ibrox, you don’t know because I was hidden, but it was Rangers vs Celtic.

“I came here for that match, that was good. I don’t know [what the score was]. But it was a couple of weeks before I played the [UEFA Cup] final against Celtic. It was 2003, something like May 2003. Rangers vs Celtic, nobody knew me at that time.”

Prior to the first leg against Rangers, Mourinho was also quizzed on whether he would consider a job in the Scottish Premiership, and he refused to rule it out for the future.

“In this moment, no, because I have a job that motivates me and a job that demands loyalty. But why not in the future?

“People can say that the Scottish league is a league of two teams, but it's a league of passion. It's a league of passion. And for me, passion in football is everything. And Celtic and Rangers, they are big clubs with big fan bases, with big emotions, big responsibilities, big expectations. Why not?”

We’ve taken a look at the Celtic side Mourinho watched back in 2003 and what they’ve been up to since the 2-1 win.

Rab Douglas

Douglas spent five years at Celtic before his move to Leicester City in 2005. The goalkeeper returned to Scotland three years later and saw out his playing career with Arbroath after an on-off period with the club. Douglas was named as an unused substitute for the side in January 2023 at aged 50.

Joos Valgaeren

Ex-Belgium international Valgaeren spent the majority of his career at Belgian or Dutch teams but ventured to Scotland for significant spell with Celtic. Since his retirement he has returned to feature in a charity match for the club.

Bobo Balde

After eight years in Glasgow between 2001 and 2009, the Marseille-born defender Balde moved back to France to see out the latter stages of his career. Since his retirement, he has managed the Guinea U20 team — the international side he represented during his playing days. Balde won ten trophies during his time with Celtic.

Jackie McNamara

McNamara won nine titles with Celtic during his decade at the club, before moving to Wolves in 2005 for his only career spell in England. The former defender has since managed Partick Thistle, Dundee United and York City.

Ulrik Laursen

Laursen moved to Celtic in 2002 from Hibs and won the 2003/04 double with the Hoops. The Denmark international moved back to home soil and saw his career out wit Copenhagen in 2010.

Neil Lennon

After a solid playing career, including his seven-year stint with Celtic, Lennon jumped straight into coaching as he returned to the Hoops. Lennon has served as Celtic manager on two occasions, winning ten trophies including five league titles. He also won silverware with Hibs and Omonia as a head coach. His latest managerial role was at Rapid Bucuresti, before being sacked after just three months in charge last summer.

Alan Thompson

Ex-England international Thompson has been part of multiple backrooms since his retirement from playing football. He has worked as a coach for Newcastle United, Birmingham City, Blackpool and returned to Celtic in a coaching capacity as well. Thompson won eight trophies during his time with the Hoops.

Henrik Larsson

The iconic King of Kings is one of the greatest overseas players to represent Scottish football. Larsson scored 242 goals in 313 games for the Hoops and remains a fan favourite. Since his retirement, the Swede has returned to home soil to coach and most recently managed local side Helsingborgs IF.

Didier Agathe

Agathe is another Celtic star who made the switch from Hibs and enjoyed a decorated career in Glasgow. After winning seven trophies, he made the switch to Aston Villa before retiring at homeland club JS Saint-Pierroise. Agathe has dabbled in management since, taking charge of Durham City and Chester-le-Street United.

Chris Sutton

After leaving Celtic in 2006, Sutton entered the latter stages of his career before his retirement a year later. He made a surprise appearance off the bench for Isthmian League Division One North side Wroxham.

Since retiring Sutton managed Lincoln City but has since been best known for his role as a pundit and co-commentator, mainly for BBC Sport these days.

Former Welsh international Hartson spent five years with Celtic between 2001 and 2006. Since retiring, he has launched his career in media, appearing for the likes of ITV, the BBC and BT Sport.