Footballer;
Born December 16, 1956;
Died May 15, 2008.

The tragic and untimely death of Celtic legend Tommy Burns at the age of just 51 will sadden football lovers everywhere.

Born in Calton, Glasgow, on December 16, 1956, he was a natural footballer almost born to sign for Celtic.

Educated at St Mungo's Academy, Glasgow, his early football career incorporated St Mary's Boys Guild, Eastercraigs Amateurs and Celtic Boys Club, before signing schoolboy forms at Parkhead in 1970.

He signed professional forms on August 23, 1973, and was farmed out by manager Jock Stein to Maryhill Juniors to gain experience. He finally made his first-team debut for Celtic as a substitute in a 1-2 home league defeat at the hands of Dundee on April 19, 1975.

An early mentor at Parkhead was Willie Fernie, himself a class player and a skilful inside-forward.

Jock Stein certainly knew a footballer when he saw one, and he recognised the potential of the young red-headed midfielder.

"Tommy Burns does the simple things effectively - he has tremendous vision his left foot makes the ball talk."

Burns, a creative left-sided player with impeccable ball control, could thread a searching pass through the eye of a needle. Perhaps his finest game for the club was the visit of Sporting Lisbon to Celtic Park on November 2, 1983, with the Portuguese club protecting a 2-0 lead. Burns was in devastating form as the home side overturned the first-leg deficit with a stunning 5-0 win.

He would go on to play 500 games for Celtic, scoring 81 goals - an impressive return for a midfield player.

Five league championships, two Scottish Cups and one League Cup winners' medal made an impressive tally for a player rightly regarded as an all-time Parkhead great. He was a key member of the Celtic side that celebrated the club's centenary with a league and cup double in season 1987-88.

He was capped just eight times for Scotland, also winning international honours at youth and under-21 level.

Fifteen years as a Celt saw him granted a testimonial game against Liverpool. And, in his farewell appearance as a Celtic player in a home friendly against Ajax in December 1989, he threw his boots into the Jungle in a gesture of farewell. Yet he was to return.

Burns signed for Kilmarnock the following day, and just over two years later he was appointed player- manager of the Rugby Park club. He played more than 200 games for Killie and led them back to the top level of Scottish football in 1993.

To widespread approval, he returned to Celtic as manager in July 1994, the first managerial appointment of the Fergus McCann era. After a difficult start, he produced a Celtic team in his own image - playing attractive, attacking football. Three years in the Parkhead hot-seat produced just one Scottish Cup success in 1995, with a 1-0 win over Airdrieonians.

When Rangers achieved the Holy Grail of nine-in-a-row, Tommy Burns paid the price of football managers. His departure was genuinely regretted by Celtic fans, even if his successor, Wim Jansen, did lead the club to the league title one year later.

In later years he bossed Reading but returned to Glasgow and Celtic in 2000, principally responsible for youth development, but also assisting Gordon Strachan at first-team level in recent years. He also assisted at national level under Berti Vogts and Walter Smith.

A deeply religious man, he is survived by his wife, Rosemary, and four children.

Robert McElroy