A TEARFUL Gordon Strachan
showed the strength of feeling
over the death of Tommy Burns
by revealing their friendship
had been the highlight of his
spell as Celtic manager.
Burns died aged 51 at around
4am yesterday morning after
losing his battle with cancer. He
left wife Rosemary and four
children.
Strachan revealed how Burns,
who spent 25 years at Parkhead
as player, manager and coach,
had kept him sane amid the
trials of managing one half of
the Old Firm.
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The pair had been fierce
midfield rivals during the 1980s
but former Aberdeen hero
Strachan discovered Burns was
a world champion'' among
men when they became
colleagues in 2005.
Wiping tears from his eyes,
Strachan said: No disrespect to
football, but being Tommy's
mate is the best part of coming
to Celtic.
People will be judged, not as
a footballer - and there weren't
many better than him - but as a
person. He's top of the league
when it comes to being a man.
Even yesterday when I was
with him, his faith is incredible.
All he was interested in was
making sure Rosemary and the
kids and I were all right. He
wasn't thinking about himself.''
Kenny Dalglish brought his
former Celtic team-mate back to
the club in 2000 following spells
at Newcastle and Reading, and
Martin O'Neill soon came in to
appoint Burns as youth
development manager. But
Strachan returned him to firstteam
level.
The most important thing I
did when I came here was make
Tommy assistant manager,''
Strachan said.
Through his intelligence,
common sense and humour, he
made me understand what
Glasgow was all about. If I
didn't have him I would have
gone off my head. He kept me
sane at times.
Sometimes when your
relatives go, you don't see them
so often. But he has been part of
my life every day for three
years. That's why I am taking it
rather hard at the moment.
He radiated - every time he
walked into a room, no matter
how you were feeling, you felt
better when Tommy was about.
We've missed him about the
place because it's not the same
when he's not there.''
Burns initially beat skin
cancer two years ago but Celtic
announced in March he was
undergoing treatment again.
Strachan, who was once set
upon by a Celtic fan during a
game at Parkhead, added:
When I got attacked on the
pitch, he said, 'I knew you were
slow, but I didn't know you were
that slow'.
I have laughed every day
since I joined Celtic. He made
me feel good when he was alive
and his memory will make me
feel good. He liked people to
enjoy themselves.
The only time he got a bit
tetchy was when anyone joined
in when he was singing Mack
The Knife.
You weren't meant to join in
- that was his song. He was a
very good singer, actually.''
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