Former Celtic star Ian Young has died suddenly after illness aged 76.

Ian played with the Parkhead side from 1961 until 1968 - with the club admitting that had it not been for an untimely injury, he may well have been in the historic Lisbon Lions side. 

Following his spell with Celtic, the defender left for St Mirren where he saught first-team football. It was there where cruciate ligament damage cruelly cut short his professional career at just 27.

A spokesperson for Celtic FC said: "Nonetheless, Ian Young could quite rightly reflect on his Celtic career with great pride.

"He was a regular in the side when Jock Stein arrived at the club and helped Celtic end an era of underachievement to become the dominant force in Scottish football."

The defender starred in the side's 1965 Scottish Cup win - the club's first trophy in eight years - and scored three goals in his 133 games before moving to Love Street.

The club added: "The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Celtic Football Club are with the family and friends of Ian Young at this sad time."