Strachan refuses to comment on Sunderland

Soccer: Gordon Strachan has stressed Celtic are a "fantastic" club to work for after being linked with the vacant Sunderland job but the fiery Scot refused to field questions on the subject at his weekly press conference today.

The Celtic manager has emerged as one of the favourites to replace Roy Keane at the Stadium of Light after the Corkman resigned yesterday. Strachan is just behind former Newcastle and Bolton manager Sam Allardyce in the betting.

However, Strachan maintained his long-standing reluctance to discuss his future by refusing to field questions on Sunderland during his weekly media conference, and cut it short when a question cut too close to the bone.

Before that though, he stressed how happy he was at Celtic Park and reflected on his coaching career moments after picking up the Clydesdale Bank Manager of the Month award.

The former Coventry and Southampton boss said: "It's a fantastic club to work for and it's a great bunch of lads.

"They are smashing to work with, they are receptive and want to get better.

"The facilities are fantastic as well. We are training on a magnificent pitch, considering the weather has been that bad."

The former Aberdeen player has had to work hard to win over a significant portion of sceptics among the Celtic support since taking over in the summer of 2005.

Winning three successive titles and repeating the unprecedented feat of qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League has gone a long way to doing that.

Nevertheless, his future plans remain a hot topic of debate in Glasgow and his decision to walk out of the Southampton job months after taking them to the FA Cup final provides further intrigue.

However, the former Scotland midfielder insists he is getting stronger as a manager by remaining at Celtic.

He said: "Throughout your football career or any job, there are crisis points where you say 'can I go on?' You pick yourself up and you go on.

"The more you get through that, the stronger you get, whether it's a football manager or any business you deal with.

"These things make you stronger and wiser and the longer you can stay in the game, the better you are going to become as a manager.

"You need to put a lot of work in and you need a bit of luck at times as well.

"But what you need as a manager is good players, and I have been fortunate to work with a lot of good players over the last 12 years."

Strachan added: "You are certainly tested here, that's for sure. But that is part of the deal. That's why we get looked after so well.

"I've had tests throughout my career and you have to deal with them.

"I'm lucky to have good players around me to help me stay where I am at 51."

Strachan won the award after leading Celtic to 12 consecutive victories in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, ahead of their trip to Hibernian on Sunday.

And full-back Mark Wilson believes Strachan is focused on bringing more success to Parkhead.

"His love and obsession for football makes him the man he is," Wilson said.

"His attention to detail is incredible. With teams we play against, we always know what we are coming up against.

"His coaching ability is fantastic and the players love his training. It's as if he has the whole package.

"He is the best manager I have worked under.

"What he has done for the club in the past three years is fantastic, and I can only see him trying to better that in the future.

"After Martin O'Neill, when his team was coming to an end, the manager had to make a lot of changes and did that successfully, but obviously came under a lot of stick from supporters.

"To take all that stick and still win three championships and reach the last 16 [of the Champions League] twice is an incredible job. He will obviously be trying to better that."

When asked if Strachan could be forgiven for walking away given some of the criticism he has received, Wilson stressed that being involved with Celtic would more than compensate for any flak.

"You couldn't blame him because of what has gone on but the club is fantastic and the manager knows that better than anybody," said Wilson, who signed a three-year contract extension on Wednesday.

"It's going to be very difficult to find a club as big or more exciting than Celtic."