Bobby Murdoch was first amongst equals in the eyes of legendary Celtic manager Jock Stein. The midfielder, who died yesterday aged 65, was the fulcrum of the team that swept the board in Scotland and became the first from Britain to lift the European Cup.

Stein once said of him: "As far as I am concerned, Murdoch was just about the best player I had as manager. I only let him move because he had run out of challenges with Celtic."

When Murdoch left Celtic Park in 1973 for Middlesbrough, then in the old second division, he did so with a bagful of medals. As well as the European Cup medal - the reward for a famous victory over Inter Milan in the 1967 final - he accumulated winner's medals from eight championships, four Scottish Cups and five League Cups. Murdoch and Jimmy Johnstone were the youngest members of the line-up that went on to become known as the Lisbon Lions. But the former Cambuslang Rangers player, who began his Celtic days as a part-timer while working as a sheet metal worker, almost never made it.

It was not until Stein arrived at Parkhead in 1965 that he became such an influential player - and that was the direct result of the manager's tactical acumen. He moved Murdoch from inside-right to right-half and the silverware was soon arriving by the boxload.

Personal honours came Murdoch's way as well and he was crowned the Scottish Football Writers' Player of the Year in 1969, the year his team recorded a domestic treble. In all, he made nearly 500 appearances for Celtic and scored almost 100 goals before moving to Ayresome Park. Murdoch spent nine years at the club as player, coach and manager between 1973 and 1982, playing his part on the pitch in Jack Charlton's promotion side in 1973-74 and later helping to develop some of the club's emerging talent.

A crowd of 57,268 granted Celtic's veteran captain Tom Boyd a massive testimonial pay-day last night - but English champions Manchester United gatecrashed his Parkhead party when they defeated the Scottish champions 2-0.

United drew first blood in the 25th minute when Ryan Giggs found David Beckham on the right flank and he curled in a pin-point cross for Mikael Silvestre to head home from close range. With just two minutes remaining of the 90, United wrapped up the win when second-half substitute Bojan Djordjic coolly chipped Jonathan Gould.