Van Hooijdonk: ‘Celtic would challenge Europe’s best if they moved to the Premier League

Before you mock, hear the man out.

Former Hoops striker Pierre van Hooijdonk reckons that Celtic would be serious contenders to win the Champions League if they were allowed into the Premier League. A move to join English football's second tier was mooted back in 2009, but PL Chief Executive Richard Scudamore dismissed the idea of Celtic and city neighbours Rangers joining the English system as a "a non-starter". But now, with both Celtic's majority shareholder Dermot Desmond and manager Ronny Deila again talking up the idea of the Glasgow clubs making the switch, Van Hooijdonk is enthused at what it would mean for his former club. “I hope that it happens,” Van Hooijdonk explained to BBC Sport. “Celtic is a club capable of taking it to another level. “They will grow if they have the chance to join a British league. I’m sure if they had the opportunity to join the Championship tomorrow, they would do it. “And then in five years I am positive they would be challenging for the title in the Premier League just because of the fact they are able to grow and the money that comes from the television is so much they can spend it on the right players. “If you are challenging for the Premier League title, when you have the system where you have the four teams competing in the Champions League then they have a really good chance. “I certainly do believe – and I said it already in the days I was playing here – if they have the opportunity to join the English league without a doubt they are going to be one of the main forces in the league.” It's certainly a compelling argument. Celtic have a huge world-wide following and as such their potential earning possibilities both from television rights and marketing remain largely untapped. And if it's good enough for Swansea City...