He is currently earning acclaim for his astonishing performance in Adolescence as Stephen Graham firmly cements his reputation as one of the finest actors of his generation. But the amiable Scouser, when away from the gritty dramas which he has made his name on, also has a soft spot for a club beyond his beloved Liverpool ...if you know your history. The 51-year-old has been known to Hoop it up and has laid bare his affinity for Celtic , their supporters and experiencing the club's famed atmosphere on the pitch and in the stands. He lined up in green and white for Stiliyan Petrov's charity game in 2013 before returning as a fan with Celtic-daft close mate Martin Compston for the 5-0 trouncing of Hearts in 2018. Speaking to the Celtic View, the revered actor said: “As Martin and I were walking into the Hearts game (in November 2018), there was this lovely old fella, he must have been about 75, not a day younger. "He put his hand on my shoulder and said, in a faux Italian American accent, ‘Hey, it’s Al Capone!’ (The character Graham portrays in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire). I felt like I was instantly accepted by the fans, which gave me a right buzz. What a great game to have gone to as well, and 5-0 wasn't too bad." Sampling Fortress Paradise from the stands was special, of course, but Graham's experience on the hallowed turf was something to remember as he enjoyed a special interaction with the King of Kings. He added: "Playing at Celtic Park itself was a real buzz, and one of the best moments of my life. In the dressing room, I was tying my laces, I had a pair of Adidas World Cups on, and my bottle had gone. "I was once a decent little player, but going on that turf was a different story. I was tying my laces, I looked to my right, and spotted the exact same boots as me. "I thought to myself, alright, nice one. I looked up the socks, up the body, I saw the face… and it was Henrik Larsson! He just looked at me and said, ‘Nice boots’. I said, Cheers mate!” Opinions often have a way of coming back to haunt you, however, Graham's effusive verdict of Rodgers seven years ago has aged well - with the Irishman winning the FA Cup with Leicester and three further trophies with Celtic since. He said: “Brendan Rodgers is doing a fantastic job at Celtic. As you well know, it’s increasingly difficult in Scotland to compete with the finances elsewhere, and to attract the players that he has is brilliant. "He’s galvanised that group of players, too. Personally, I loved Brendan Rodgers when he was at Liverpool. I thought he did a great job, and I thought he was a fantastic manager. "He took us to another level, and, for me, he was the start of this football that we’re now playing. Before, we were close. "But he brought that style of play that he created with Swansea, he took that to Liverpool – that pressing possession play, that fast counter-attack – which Celtic do really well now. He’s a great manager.”