The incredible Celtic transfer tale of Jorge one AND two as mega Cadete favour had Barcelona seeing double

They appeared the perfect double act but one was more a duffer than deadly

Punters who enjoyed a pre-match beverage on November 26, 1996, may well have been forgiven for fearing they had necked a dodgy batch of moonshine.

For those who ventured inside Celtic Park on a bitterly cold night to watch their heroes duke it out with a skeleton Barcelona crew, in a glamour friendly to mitigate the lack of European action, were treated not only to one but two shaggy-haired stars from Portugal named Jorge lining up in green and white.

But unfortunately for Tommy Burns and headline writers alike, one wasn't like the other as Amaral proved to be a level below his old pal Cadete. The free-scoring forward pulled the strings to land Amaral a trial as he pushed for his mate to earn a shot of a long-term contract.

The irony of the two Jorges wasn't lost on some fans who waited long enough to see one turn out as the bungling SFA made a hash of the Portugal international's registration. It resulted in former SFA chief executive Jim Farry being sacked for "gross misconduct" three years later.

There was plenty of talent on display, of course, with the likes of a fledgling Luis Garcia alongside Laurent Blanc and Croatia playmaker supreme Robert Prosinecki.

That was not enough for Celtic supremo Fergus McCann, however, who put the frighteners on the esteemed opponent and the accompanying Spanish TV channel as he was left miffed injured superstars such as Ronaldo, Hristo Stoichkov and Luis Figo were left at home.

But all eyes were on Cadete's pal whose reputation preceded the worldwide web. Snippets from newspapers and updates from club media which informed fans Amaral was laid low by injury issues.

Then the big night arrived and Amaral was called upon in the 52nd minute as he locked horns with compatriot Fernando Couto – who he could be seen sharing a laugh with before kick-off.

But the much-hyped trialist encountered some early turbulence in hoops as his 38-minute cameo was littered with errors and an inability to keep up with the pace of an almost sedentary bounce match.

Rusty at best and out of his depth at worst – the claim over 26 caps for Portugal came under close scrutiny as his agent's bombastic sell showed only youth appearances for the man born in Mozambique.

Amaral had also fleetingly spent time with Premier League big boys Leeds United and while this was no Ali Dia situation, it was clear he had ways to go to fill the midfield gap left by the injured Paul McStay and Phil O'Donnell.

In a pre-internet age, three weeks of hype for Amaral felt like a lifetime but unless his inauspicious debut was merely a ruse to throw Bobby Robson and Barca off the scent, there was palpable concern from the patrons in attendance.

And their fears were justified as the bold Jorge, given the big sell by agent Paulo Barbosa and his pal Cadete, was gone in a flash.

Burns – feeling the heat after the highs of the 1995/96 season – made the executive call to cut ties with the former Benfica academy starlet.

The revered former Hoops boss had many qualities and an eye for a player was among his finest. It quickly proved he was bang on about Amaral.

A nomadic existence in the football wilderness ensued for a player who wasn't cut out for Parkhead life.

He toured his homeland with stops at clubs such as Vitoria Setubal and Santa Clara before turning to management.

Amaral's time in the dugout led him to Hong Kong but the brightest lights he ever experienced were his month in Glasgow in late 1996.

In truth, if it wasn't for the niggle he picked up while in Scotland then his stay likely would have been over quicker than it was but.

But for a while, young Celtic fans dreamed over a blossoming future which included two superstars from Portugal with one teeing up the other en route to dethroning all-conquering Rangers.

It never happened, of course, but Amaral certainly won't be the last to dream big even if they are an ill-fit for the rigours of Celtic Park.

A peripheral figure but a name which still makes a regular appearance at quiz nights surrounding the Parkhead side.