Strachan hoping for some continuity

Gordon Strachan swept into Celtic Park yesterday and immediately put his head on the block by suggesting he hoped to keep Craig Bellamy at the club.

All previous indications pointed to the on-loan signing from Newcastle United going back to the English Premiership after his successful spell in Scotland, which earned him his first domestic medal when he helped Celtic to a Scottish Cup triumph over Dundee United.

Even that victory did not look enough to persuade the Wales striker to stay in Glasgow as clubs south of the border began to manoeuvre, but Strachan, who in 2001 signed him for £6.5 million and briefly managed him at Coventry, insisted: "I've already spoken to Craig and I hope he will stay.

"He is very positive, but has now gone on holiday and has left people working for him. But he and I will be in touch again. I have worked with him before and he was never any problem. You can never read Bellers, but for me he just loves training and playing, people here adore him, he can play in Europe and he is at one of the biggest clubs in the world."

Strachan clearly hopes all that will be enough to persuade Bellamy to make his move long-term; it would be an early, crowd-pleasing acquisition. On the other hand, it would now be a blow to Martin O'Neill's successor if the 25-year-old striker decided his future lay elsewhere.

Strachan is nothing if not optimistic, and he was quick also to declare an interest in keeping experienced out-of-contract players such as Jackie McNamara and Neil Lennon.

"I would like them to stay, because apart from anything else new players coming in need to have examples to look at and see how Celtic players behave. Neil, Jackie and others like Alan Thompson, Chris Sutton, John Hartson and Stilian Petrov have all been mainstays here for the last few years, playing at the highest levels, but now they need some others to take the pressure - physical and mental - off them."

Strachan was in fine form as he addressed the media after his 16-month sabbatical from management. "I feel reinvigorated," he said, "and I just know this job is right for me.

"I have had opportunities to get back into the game with big clubs but I wanted something different and something that would excite me, so I didn't hesitate to say yes to Celtic. There is no job in Britain bigger than this one and five years ago it would have been too much for me, but not now. I can handle it.

"I have a budget - it's never enough for any manager - but I have given my hit list to the directors and there will be changes. There needs to be a decent turnover.

"I know what I am letting myself in for and it hasn't deterred me."

Looking further ahead, Strachan said he would love to guide Celtic into the Premiership one day.