Tommy Burns tribute

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Gordon Strachan has made a surprise return to Celtic Park less than a week after standing down as manager - but only to pay tribute to Tommy Burns.

More than 25,000 fans watched the present Celtic side beat an old-boys select 11-4 in honour of former manager Burns, who died last May aged 51.

Former Celtic midfielder Murdo MacLeod told BBC Scotland: "Everybody is here because of their friendship with Tommy.

"It's been a very emotional day and the fans showed great support for Tommy."

Strachan, who missed out on a fourth straight Scottish title on the final day of the league season last weekend, took a bow and received a warm round of applause from the Celtic fans before the charity match.

Ex-Celtic striker Mark McGhee, the Motherwell manager recommended to the club by Strachan as his successor, was also an emotional presence in the stand along with his former Aberdeen team-mate.

The match had three beneficiaries - Burns' family, the Tommy Burns Skin Cancer Trust and the Celtic Charity Fund.

But the unveiling of a sculpture in tribute to Burns, which was originally planned to be held before the match, will now take place around the first home league match of next season.

Burns spent most of his career with Celtic as player, manager and youth coach and the high regard in which he was held was exemplified by the star-studded turnout.

In bright sunshine, the present side, managed by Neil Lennon, ran out easy winners with a Lee Naylor hat-trick, doubles from Gary Caldwell and Scott McDonald, and with Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Aiden McGeady, Massimo Donati and Simon Ferry also on the scoresheet.

The 'three amigos' of Paolo Di Canio, Pierre Van Hooijdonk and Jorge Cadete, who played for the club while Burns was manager, made a nostalgic return to Celtic Park for the select side captained by Burns' son, Jonathan, and managed by Billy McNeill.

And Cadete, Roy Keane, John Hartson and Andy Walker scored for the team of veterans.

Also making an appearance was 14-year-old Islam Feruz, a highly-regarded Somalian from the club's youth academy, and Stephen Melville - a supporter who paid £20,000 in a charity auction for the privilege of playing.

 

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Lennon to remain at Celtic Park

Neil Lennon has been assured by Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell that his future with the Glasgow club is safe.

Gordon Strachan stepped down as manager last week after missing out on a fourth consecutive Scottish title, leaving coach Lennon a concerned man.

"It's always a worry when a manager leaves, you don't know what the new manager is going to think," he said.

"Peter has spoken to me at length and he has told me what my role will be next year."

Lennon, who played for a Tommy Burns select side that lost 11-4 to the first-team in Sunday's charity match at Celtic Park, had been called into Strachan's backroom team last April.

His presence coincided with a Celtic revival that led to a third consecutive Scottish Premier League triumph and there had been speculation that Strachan might wish Lennon to follow him to his next managerial destination.

"We've had the discussion about what the new manager might think, but Peter made it clear that the club want me to stay," said the 37-year-old Lennon.

"So I will be there to assist the new guy in any way that I can.

"He also asked me for a few recommendations for the job, but I won't tell you.

"We are where we were in 2005 and, after that, we had three and a half great years.

"So hopefully we can get the new man in as quickly as we can and get started again."

Strachan made a surprise appearance at the tribute match to take a bow and was given a warm round of applause by home fans who had not been unanimous in their support for the former Aberdeen and Manchester United midfielder despite his success with the club.

"I was and I wasn't surprised when Gordon left," he said. "I think the Old Firm nowadays has a shelf life of four years.

"I think he thought long and hard about it and, whether we won the league or not, he probably would have went anyway.

"The next manager needs to have a strong personality and a wee bit of charisma.

"And any manager of the Old Firm needs a hide as thick as a rhino."

Lennon ruled himself out of the running - but only for the time being.

"My long-term ambition is to manage Celtic, but I don't see that in the near future," he said.

"I'm sort of at a crossroad about my future. I'm flattered that Celtic want me to stay, but there is a part of me that wants to go and do my own thing.

"But it's a huge job. I haven't got the experience, I still have a lot to learn and I'm not in any great rush."