captain pays tribute to tommy

David Friel
CELTIC captain Stephen McManus spoke for all of his team-mates as he paid tribute to the influence of the irreplaceable Tommy Burns.

The Hoops skipper rose through the ranks under the watchful eye of Youth Academy supremo Tommy  and was visibly upset as he arrived at Celtic Park to pay his respects to the Celtic legend.

“It’s tough. I spoke to a few of the players and we are all numb.” said McManus, as he joined Gordon Strachan and Peter Lawwell at a press conference.

“We’ve known for a while that Tommy hasn’t been well, but then he’d bounce into the training ground as if everything’s fine.

“That shows you what Tommy was like as a man. He fought on and was adamant that nobody had to feel sorry for him. He was courageous and as brave a man as you’ll ever meet.

“He’s been badly missed by all of us – not just as a coach, but as a person. Personally, it’s been a privilege to know him for eight years.

“When you come to work and you’re with someone for eight years, you do get close to them. I love him to bits and he’ll be sadly missed.

“We’re all feeling the loss at this moment in time, but our thoughts are with Tommy’s family.”

McManus was a shy 18-year-old with dreams of being a Celtic star of the future when he first encountered Tommy eight years ago. The current Hoops skipper admits the man he grew to know as a friend left an indelible mark on his career and life.

“Tommy  made you feel important,” he said. “I’d been here for a couple of years when Tommy came back to Celtic.

“I was a tadpole in the ocean here, but Tommy made me feel like the most important person in the world. It’s only special men that can do that.

“Tommy was truly a special man. His humour is legendary. It was a pleasure working with him for Celtic, and with Scotland.

“I can remember the first time I was in the Scotland squad and I was a bit nervous about things and how people would be.

“As soon as I walked off the bus, it was Tommy who was giving me stick and that made me feel so much better. That summed Tommy up.

“He was a great man and the fact that his loss will be felt all over the football world shows the regard in which he was held.”

Since the arrival of Gordon Strachan in 2005, McManus worked daily with Tommy in a first-team environment and insists the coach made a massive contribution to the domestic and European success achieved by the club.

He added: “Having Tommy with the first team everybody was brilliant. Before the manager came, I was playing with the younger teams and I was fortunate enough to work with Tommy.

“But having him in about the first-team was great. There were laughs every day and 90 per cent of the time it was because of something Tommy had said or done.

“I can remember on the eve of a cup tie at Kilmarnock, Tommy had five or six of us sitting up to midnight telling stories. We couldn’t get a word in edgeways and we were all in hysterics.

“He was a special person and regardless of how he was feeling, he always wanted to make sure you were alright.

“It was a pleasure to have known him and worked with him for so long. He was a one-off and there will never be another Tommy Burns.”