Celtic started the new season impressively against Dundee United. They dominated for the whole match and the scoreline doesn't do the performance justice. Goals from Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton won the game. 

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Tommy Burns will stay at Celtic despite the appointment by Martin O'Neill of his long term assistant Steve Walford. O'Neill claims that none of the coaching staff will be asked to leave. Burns was brought in to assist Kenny Dalglish as manager after the dismissal of John Barnes after a run of disasterous results (as if you need reminding!). Also, Joos Valgaeren has finally been confirmed as a Celtic player after he passed the medical and signed a 5 year contract. The transfer was believed to be worth £3.5 million. This ends weeks of false alarms! The player is likely to be included in the squad for the first league game against Dundee United at Tannadice.

Belgian international defender Joos Valgaeren will become a Celtic player subject to passing a medical. He has agreed to join for a reported £3.5 million from JC Roda. The player has been the subject of rumours for weeks over his future and his is sure to be a good investment for Celtic. Martin O'Neill's assistant at Leicester, Steve Walford, has joined up with his former boss at Filbert Street. The two men have been a successful partnership for seven years together and this will hopefully continue the success. A Leicester spokesman said, "I really wanted Steve to stay at Leicester but I understand he has a close working relationship with Martin O'Neill and wishes to join him at Celtic."Also today Neil Lennon gave the stongest hint yet that he is eyeing up a move to Parkhead. However Leicester have offered him yet another improved contract offer so it is unclear whether he will make the switch.

Celtic will sign Belgian internation defender Joos Valgaeren later today in a £3.5 million deal that will bring him to Parkhead from JC Roda. The transfer saga has been ongoing since Martin O'Neill's arrival as manager. The transfer seemed likely to break down less than two days ago but the player is in Glasgow and it's back on track. The transfer stopped in it's track when the player and his agent wanted £30,000 each for the transfer however talks between Celtic and JC Roda got it going again. His agent said: "Both clubs have been in contact with me today and I am now hopeful that the deal may be finalised by the end of this week."

Today Celtic lost 4-2 to Bordeaux in a friendly at Celtic Park. The Bordeaux team included internationals including, Dugarry, the French World Cup star. However Celtic were a bit rocky looking and the defence was wide open. The back line of Stubbs, Rafael and Tebily had obvious cracks. At one point Celtic were a goal up, almost making it more with several good chances, notably a Larsson overhead kick. However the defence was blaring when Bordeaux scored two goals in three minutes to seal the victory.

No matter what Celtic defender Vidar Riseth experiences this season, it will never match the swing in emotions he experienced at Euro 2000 this summer. The Norwegian international was sitting with his team-mates on the bench in Arnhem as his country appeared to be on their way to a quarter-final meeting with favourites France. Spain were trailing 3-2 to Yugoslavia after Norway had earned a goalless draw with Slovenia and qualification appeared to be a mere formality.

Leicester midfielder Neil Lennon claims Celtic have tabled a bid for him and he will now sit down for talks with Filbert Street manager Peter Taylor. The Foxes are set to make a desperate last-ditch offer in an attempt to keep their £6-5million-rated Northern Ireland star. Aston Villa and Middlesbrough are also waiting in the wings to sign 29-year-old Lennon, but linking up with his former boss Martin O'Neill at the club he supported as a boy seems too tempting to resist.

Celtic defender Marc Rieper hopes to make a final decision on his playing future next week. The former West Ham man has endured countless operations on his toe injury and has not pulled on the green and white jersey since October 1998. But, while still coaching with the club, Rieper is set to decide on whether he can continue playing.

Celtic defender Rafael has urged the Parkhead management and fans to give him a chance to prove himself at the club. The Brazilian, who cost 4-8million from Gremio earlier this year, has failed to impress in the handful of games he has played for the club. But Rafael, who has been ravaged by injuries and illness since his move, insists the best is yet to come from him after the club's pre-season tour of Ireland, Denmark and Germany.

Celtic striker Chris Sutton has fired his first broadside at Old Firmrivals Rangers by insisting his new club are bigger than the Ibrox side. And the £6m man is adamant Martin O'Neill will soon bridge the gap on the field. Sutton said: ''Given time, Martin will get it right at Celtic.

Chris Sutton endured a miserable debut for Celtic as the Parkhead side lost for the first time under new manager Martin O'Neill to German Third Division minnows Sachsen Leipzig. Sutton, who completed a Scottish record £6million transfer from Chelsea earlier this week, came on as a second-half substitute for young striker Mark Burchill. But despite some neat touches the big Englishman could only watch as a poor defensive performance condemned the Bhoys to an embarrassing 2-0 defeat.

Scotland striker Mark Burchill has admitted for the first time he may have to quit Celtic if he remains on the fringes of the starting line-up. Burchill turns 20 next month and has claimed that if he fails to establish himself as a regular this season, he might have to consider reluctantly moving away from Parkhead. A two-goal show in Celtic's 2-2 pre-season friendly draw against FC Copenhagen in midweek was a boost to Burchill as he aims to prove his value to new manager Martin O'Neill.

Celtic were haunted by the past and boosted by the future as they  came from behind to draw 2-2 with FC Copenhagen. Former Parkhead striker Harald Brattbakk exorcised some of his own  demons from his time in Scotland with two first-half goals. But new Celtic boss Martin O'Neill will have been delighted with the  two goals from second-half substitute, Mark Burchill, which earned  his side a draw in the Parken Stadium.

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has targeted Norwegian international defender Bjorn Otto Bragstad, according to his club Rosenborg. General manager Nils Skutle claims 9-year-old Bragstad, who featured for Norway at Euro 2000, would be available if the price was right - though Celtic are not the only interested party. Skutle said: ''Celtic are interested and that has been the case for a while.

Leeds United are confident that they will win an appeal to the
Department for Education and Employment for a work permit for Mark Viduka. The DfEE claim the £6m signing from Celtic does not meet their set criteria because he has not played enough internationals for Australia in the last two years. But Elland Road secretary Ian Silvester believes Viduka's track record in Scotland will sway the decision in Leeds' favour.

Chris Sutton underwent a medical at Parkhead today and will fly to Denmark tomorrow to join his new Celtic team-mates assuming there are no problems stemming from it. Celtic will not learn the results of the tests until tomorrow morning, but that is now the only remaining formality standing in the way of Sutton's £6m switch from Chelsea. Sutton, who becomes Martin O'Neill's first signing for the Parkhead outfit, would then be in contention to feature for Celtic on Wednesday in a friendly fixture in Copenhagen.

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill will break the club transfer record on Monday when Chris Sutton completes his switch to Parkhead for £6 million. The Chelsea striker needs only to pass his medical at the club on  Monday and will then join his new team-mates on their pre-season tour  in Denmark. And O'Neill insists that the former Blackburn man will rediscover his  form in Scotland after a barren year at Stamford Bridge.

Roda JC President Noel Hendriks has claimed he expects Celtic to complete a deal for defender Joos Valgaeren within the next 48 hours. The Belgian international could be Parkhead manager Martin O'Neill's first signing with the Dutch club reported to be willing to accept around £4-5m for the player. Hendriks said: "I think this weekend Celtic will close the deal.

Celtic could complete the transfer of Scotland international Don Hutchison this week. However the move would see Alan Stubbs heading the opposite direction. Celtic have fallen behind Rangers in transfer terms even before the season started. With the evil empire, I mean, Ibrox club signing SEVEN players. Hutchison has made no secret of his desire to move to Celtic and Alan Stubbs has made no secret of his impending return to England.

Martin O'Neill may attempt to sign Aston Villa's Alan Thompson. The midfielder has played alongside Alan Stubbs, when he was at Hull. Thompson was signed by Villa manager John Gregory as his first signing for £4.5 million. However he has been out of favour. One of Thompson's strong points is his ability to score from a distance, which he proved at Bolton, scoring 10 goals in the1997-98 season. Another transfer that is in the pipeline is that of Chris Sutton. Today, Middlesbrough, the other main bidder pulled out leaving Celtic as the best bet to resurrect his career. Celtic could also complete the transfer this week of Joos Valgaeren. Celtic's initial bid of £4 million was rejected by the club. JC Roda claimed that a bid of nearer £6 million was required to bring him to Parkhead.

Celtic could sign Belgian defender Joos Valgaeren, who participated in Euro 2000. Martin O'Neill spoke to him at Euro 2000 and is set to offer his club, JC Roda, £4 million for him. Last night Valgaeren's agent Guido Mallants confirmed that talks have started and that the Belgian is keen to come to Glasgow. But Celtic have to agree a fee with Dutch Cup holders Roda, who have the player tied up for another two years."There is also some interest from England but Joos would be interested in coming to a big club like Celtic.

Alan Stubbs is set to have talks with Martin O'Neill over his future. Stubbs has one year left on his contract and is unsure if he wants to stay but seems to be encouraged by Martin O'Neill's appointment. He said, "My situation in pretty straightforward, I have a year remaining on my contract then I would become a free agent. I'll be a Celtic player next year unless someone tells me otherwise." He also said, "Finding the replacement for John Barnes was always going to be difficult but I feel that the club have got it absolutely right."

Martin O'Neill is worried that Celtic's status as a PLC (Public Limited Company) may jeopardize their attempts to sign top quality players.When O'Neill wants to put a bid in for a player he needs to gain permission from shareholders, this could mean that he is left behind in the bidding process for players. However O'Neill had the same problem at Leicester so it is not entirely new to him. ''The time factor is something that I'd have to get used to but I knew this when I came here. At Leicester I worked with the chairman there but, generally speaking, when you are talking about a major deal I suppose it's obvious with PLC's the board members will have to be told and have to make decisions on it."