'Bhoy' wonder

Bulgarian team's captain Stilian Petrov at a training session in Sofia 03 June 2003. Bulgaria will play a 2004 European Championship qualifier match against Belgium on 07 June 2003. AFP PHOTO DIMITAR DILKOFF

Celtic midfielder Stilian Petrov was still only 22-years-old when he established himself as captain of Bulgaria during their romp to Euro 2004 qualification.

And to gain some measure of the man's popularity in Bulgaria it only needs to be said that his marriage was televised on nationwide TV in June 2003.

None of this will have come as a surprise to the great Hristo Stoichkov, who had this to say of Petrov: "I would like to place on record that Petrov of CSKA Sofia at 19 years of age is already the outstanding player of his generation in Bulgaria. His potential is limitless."

Pertrov had just inherited Stoichkov's CSKA number 8 jersey and was soon to claim the same squad number with the national side.

Croatia's Dado Prso (L) vies for the ball with Stiliyan Petrov of Bulgaria during their Euro 2004 qualifier match in Zagreb, 11 October 2003.

He played in every match and was on the score sheet in the first two Group 8 wins against key rivals Belgium and Croatia as Bulgaria wrapped up their Euro 2004 qualification with a match to spare after a record of 5 wins, two draws and one defeat.

Veteran Radostan Kishishev retired from international football during the campaign and coach Plamen Markov overlooked more experienced men to hand the captaincy to the confident young star of his side.

An international at 18

He made his debut in Bulgaria's top flight at just 15, playing as a striker for his hometown side of FC Montana, in the country's north.

His youth and exploits soon attracted the attentions of the big guns and CSKA Sofia signed him up in 1996.

Discerning coach Dimitar Penev, who groomed Stoichkov and was Bulgaria coach at that celebrated 1994 World Cup, converted Petrov in to a midfielder during the 1998 season.

l'Ecossais Stilian Petrov (G) est aux prises avec le bordelais Lassina Diabate lors de la rencontre Bordeaux-Celtic Glasgow le 26 octobre 2000, lors du match de deuxième tour aller de la coupe de l'UEFA au parc Lescure de Bordeaux. Celtic Glasgow's Stiluan Petrov (L) vies with Bordeaux's Lassina Diabate 26 October 2000 during their UEFA match in Bordeaux

Such was his impact that at 18 he made his international debut, before shooting to international fame as the star of Bulgaria's 2-2 draw with England in a Euro 2000 qualifier.

Glasgow Celtic signed him after seeing that match and Petrov signed a four-year extension in 2003 with the Glasgow outfit known as the 'Bhoys'.

He played 51 matches in the 2002-03 season for Celtic including 12 in their run to the Uefa Cup final, where they were finally beaten in extra-time by Porto.

He is modest man who says his time in the army (which he disliked) taught him appreciation for the good things in life.