Celtic legend Billy McNeill's family have invited fans to attend the European Cup winning captain's funeral.

The Lisbon Lion, who died on Monday, April 22, will be remembered at St Aloysius Church at around 11.30am on Friday with the service also being shown on big screens outside Celtic Park.

His family have also thanked fans and the wider football community for the tributes paid to the man who has more Celtic appearances than any other player in history.

In a statement released through the club they said: "We would like to say thank you for all the kind messages we have received over the last week. They have cheered us up tremendously at this difficult time.

"The love and affection shown towards our father is nothing short of amazing and is something we will never forget.

"The displays and tributes played before last Saturday's match reiterated what a special club Celtic is and how big a part of our father's life it was. Then for our No.5 to score the winning goal was truly magical.

"We would also like to thank all the clubs who marked his passing with a minute's applause. We really appreciate all the respect shown towards our father.

"Our father always made time for the fans and knew how important they are so we would like to send an open invite to help us pay our respects to him."

McNeill's body will be taken into St Aloysius Church on Thursday evening at 6:30pm with the church staying open for a short while after the service.

Those wishing to attend the funeral have been asked to arrive early as there will be limited spaces at the church.

London Road will be closed to traffic from 10.30am.

The service will also be broadcast live from the Celtic Way, where the funeral cortège will also arrive approximately at 1:30pm.

Thereafter there will be a private burial.