Celtic Secure Second Successive Championship!

Nakamura And Strachan Named As The Best In Scotland

Shunsuke Nakamura scored a free-kick in injury-time to clinch a 2-1 win at Kilmarnock, clinching the three points Celtic needed to move 13 points clear of Rangers at the top of the SPL with four games to play and thus make Celtic champions for the 41st time. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink opened the scoring in the first half before Colin Nish equalized early in the second half. Celtic dominated the rest of the game but squandered a host of chances before Nakamura curled his late free-kick past Alan Combe.

After the game Gordon Strachan paid tribute to match and title winner Shunsuke Nakamura. Strachan described him as a "genius" following their championship celebrations before revealing the player's tremendous work rate. "The man's a genius," Strachan said. "But also we have statistics that say he covers more ground than anybody in our team. So he has got all that and it is funny, you hear people saying he cannot tackle - yeah, so what?" Nakamura told Setanta TV: "I managed to score - that was a pleasing thing for me. I wasn't thinking about the title at the beginning, we just wanted to play our football from one match to the other. The environment here is really great so I hope I am here next year."

Shunsuke Nakamura added the Scottish Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award to his SPL winner's medal. The Japan star was thrilled to receive the accolade saying: "I'm very pleased but this isn't something you can get on your own - it's down to the whole team and also the supporters. All the players deserved to get this award. For example, a player like Neil Lennon is not really in the limelight but he is so important in the background and without players like him we wouldn't have our style of play."

Japanese dailies on Monday lauded Nakamura as history-making after his last-gasp goal gave Celtic the SPL title. "Shunsuke's victory bullet!" ran the headline of the Tokyo-Chunichi Sports newspaper. "So Dramatic, Shunsuke," the Nikkan Sports daily said. "Nakamura's name has been engraved into the history of European football." National newspapers carried Nakamura's achievement as the top item on their sports pages. "Shunsuke's Historic Free Kick," the Sankei Shimbun said in its headline. After the Kilmarnock game Gordon Strachan was named Scottish PFA Manager of the Year. The Celtic chief took the award in 2006 in his first full season at Parkhead. And he has now picked up the gong for the second year running.

Neil Lennon was celebrating his fifth championship success with Celtic but is not sure if he will be with the Hoops next season. "It's all up in the air," the captain said when asked if he would be extending his stay at Parkhead. "I've been lucky enough to win a few of these before," he added. "It just gets better and better. It's always special to win the championship. It's a tribute to the players and the quality they have shown this season."

Jason Koumas West Brom's midfielder, is being chased by Celtic as the battle to sign the Welsh international this summer hots up. Gordon Strachan is keeping tabs on 26-year-old Koumas who is emerging as the most in-demand player in the Championship. He has already been watched this season by Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Everton and Manchester City. Albion have got him under contract for the next three years but a failure to win promotion this season will leave them facing a major battle to hold on to the playmaker.

Italian agent Vincenzo Morabito can't see Celtic goalkeeper Arturo Boruc moving to Lazio. "The problem isn't his qualities," said Morabito. "He has the ability to succeed in Italy. But his wages are well outside the budget of Lazio."

Gordon Strachan has given his strongest indication so far that he is committed to staying at Celtic next season - there has been speculation of him growing restless in Scotland and seeking to return to England. Strachan was linked with a return to the EPL with Man City and Newcastle last month and has a strained relationship with a section of the Celtic support. But Strachan, who arrived at the club two years ago and is on a 12-month rolling contract, insisted that he paid no attention to criticism or debate about himself and took huge satisfaction and enjoyment from being in charge at Parkhead. "I love it. It's a great job," he said. "I keep telling people I've not got a problem with opinions. I've been here two years and never once phoned up a journalist to complain about coverage. And the rest, the phone-ins and things, that's not my world at all. I've never met anyone who's phoned up a phone-in! That doesn't count in the real world."