Charlie Mulgrew has told the story of how Neil Lennon's Celtic tactics once backfired just minutes into a UEFA Champions League clash. 

The Hoops were playing Juventus in a last-16 first leg at Parkhead during the 2012/13 season when Lennon was manager at the club. 

The former Celtic gaffer had put a lot of his pre-game emphasis on stopping Italy veteran Andrea Pirlo dictate the play in midfield, and even suggested to his players that the two-time Champions League winner's legs had gone. 

Mulgrew featured from the off against the Serie A giants as Celtic lost 3-0.

Alessandro Matri scored the game's opener within three minutes following excellent play by Pirlo before Claudio Marchisio and Mirko Vucinic rounded off the scoring in the second half.

Speaking on the latest Open Goal Podcast, the ex-Hoops defender shared an extract of how Lennon, who's had two spells in the Celtic dugout, tried to play down the level of opposition.

"He done it with Juventus, right," Mulgrew said. "He circled Pirlo and went 'his legs have gone'. That's what he said.

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"And I'm like that (pulls exasperated face).

"Get after him, he's saying. Then the first two minutes the ball comes into him, somebody goes after him, and off he goes around the corner, the boys in and scores. 

"He flipped it around the corner, he had wing mirrors on, he didn't need his legs.

"It gave you belief though, like he's saying to you 'Pirlo's legs have gone' so if you actually hear that, you hear I've got good legs because he's said I can get after him. 

"You know what I mean, you think 'I've got a chance here'." 

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