Inside Martin O'Neill's legendary Celtic teamtalk as boss pinpoints stars to 'dig you out of the ****'

Hartson smashed home a superb clinching second goal during the 2-0 victory against the Reds after Alan Thomson had given Celtic the lead.

The Welshman revealed that Northern Irishman O'Neill really came into his own that fateful night on Merseyside.

He offered a rare insight into the passionate speech that O'Neill used to rouse his players as they sat in the dressing room before going out to do battle against Gerard Houllier's men.

O'Neill's men would dismiss the English Premier League side 3-1 on aggregate en route to the UEFA Cup final in Seville where they would lose to Jose Mourinho's Porto.

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Hartson said: "One thing I do remember about Anfield was Martin O'Neill's team talk beforehand.

"It was magical as he laid it all on the line.

"Martin O'Neill basically said to the Celtic players; 'Nobody comes here and wins. It's Anfield.

"They've got five European Cups and under the lights, at Anfield, they beat everybody.

"We might as well fucking pack up and go home now unless you lot are willing to go out and scrap for this.

"So let's make sure they don't fucking beat us!

"We've got a draw and no matter what happens tonight we have to score a goal.

"If we don't score a goal then we are out.

"They have got the away goal with Emile Heskey. Let's get the ball into big John and Henrik and see where it takes us.'

"It was legendary stuff and the hairs on the back of the neck stood on end.

"He told the starting eleven that night, 'Look at the player next to you. Can you trust him?

"It was all that kind of stuff.

"He would say, 'John look at Thommo, Thommo, look at Henrik, Henrik, look at Lenny. Look at the player sitting next to you. He'd dig you out of the shit - wouldn't he? He'll run for you, he'll do anything for you. Will you do the same for him?'

"It was so inspiring. After a team talk like that, how could we lose?

"We couldn't lose the game as Martin would have dropped us all off from the team bus on the motorway and told us all to walk home! Martin was a force of nature and he was absolute class.

"I loved him as a manager as he was fantastic. I idolised the man because I had failed four medicals before I came to Celtic.

"Not a lot of people would have touched me with a barge pole back then but Martin did.

READ MORE: Anatomy of a Celtic goal: John Hartson on his incredible Anfield strike on the road to Seville

It was also a joyous night for Hartson as his family - including his mum who rarely attended matches - were also in the Anfield stands to see him in action.

The former Arsenal, Wimbledon and West Ham hitman also admitted to being "kissed by an angel" as he scored the goal of a lifetime just days after missing a last-minute penalty in a 2-1 defeat against Rangers in the League cup final at Hampden which handed the trophy to their Glasgow rivals.

Hartson said: "Henrik(Larsson) had burst his jaw against Livingston but he returned for the League Cup final against Rangers.

"Whilst Henrik was out of the team Celtic had got two penalties and I had scored them both.

"We got a penalty at Hampden and it was the last kick of the game.

"I had a terrible decision go against me when I scored a perfectly legitimate goal and the linesman flagged for offside.

"I couldn't believe it.

"We got the penalty and Henrik chucked me the ball and said: "John, take it. What a professional he was.

"I really should have said no to Henrik as he was the penalty taker at the club and I should have handed him the ball back.

"I was confident I'd score so I hit it and Stefan Klos dived to his left and I put it to the inside of his right post.

"I pulled it slightly and it drifted wide of the post. That was a real low moment for me at Celtic.

"I genuinely felt I had let everybody down and that's the initial feeling I had.

"I lasted 30 minutes when we got back to Celtic Park without the trophy as I felt like shit and I was so low.

If I had scored that penalty it would have made it 2-2 and we had recovered from 0-2 down and momentum was with us.

"We would have won the cup in extra time. I am entirely convinced of that.

"We trained the next day before heading to Anfield and we were all subdued.

"Chris (Sutton) wasn't available for the Liverpool but we travelled down there and I have hit the wonder goal of a lifetime.

"It is the best goal I have scored in my life.

"I smashed it from 30 yards and it flew into the top corner.

"I was kissed by an angel that night.

"I had an angel on my shoulder as my mum never came to any of my games but she travelled up especially for that match because we had family in Bangor in North Wales.

"She was in the stands behind the goal in the away end at Anfield against Liverpool.

"My mum still says to me to this day, 'John, if the net wasn't there I would have caught the ball!'

"I still get goosebumps thinking about what my mum said to this day.

"What are the chances that my mum would be right behind that goal as it soars into the net?

"It's just wonderful really."