Wallace - who shares his name with the Scots Braveheart hero of history made famous by Mel Gibson - is one of Celtic's hallowed Lisbon Lions.

They etched their place in football history when they were the first UK team to taste glory in Europe, winning the European Cup with an historic 2-1 triumph over Inter in 1967.

Now 71, Wallace has lived in Australia since the mid-70s and is a keen follower of the A-League...and he can't wait to see the Scots giants back in action in Australia.

Celtic open the tour of Australia on Saturday with their game against the Mariners at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, followed by a trip to Perth to face Glory the following week, then the final game against Melbourne Victory.

But he has warned Celtic not to expect the easy ride they had when they played Brisbane Roar two years ago - and swept past them for an easy 3-0 win.

 

“The standard over the last five or six years, since the A-League was introduced, has risen," Wallace told Glasgow's Evening Times.

"And the three teams Celtic are playing – Central Coast Mariners, Perth Glory and Melbourne Victory – are all at the top end of the table every season.

“You can be sure Celtic is a scalp they want to take and will consider it a great result if they can beat coach Neil Lennon’s team.

“The game here is not as physical as it once was, and the players have improved technically.

"Now I would think it is more like the football you would see in Scotland.”