It began and ended with the same, poignant refrain. Tommy Burns' name filled the night air in Dundee last night as an evening drenched in high drama and heartfelt emotion finally ended in ecstasy for Celtic.

The tragic death of the club's former player, manager and first-team coach last week formed the backdrop to last night's title decider. In the end, his team strode over the finishing line with the pomp which characterised the flame-haired midfielder in his heyday.

In doing so, they completed one of the most impressive Lazarus acts in the history of Scottish football. On April 5, they lost 1-0 at home to Motherwell to fall seven points adrift of Rangers with a game more played. That afternoon, a significant minority of home fans chanted for Gordon Strachan's dismissal.

Since then, Strachan's side have won every game, including two Old Firm victories - from crisis to clover in 47 days. It is an incredible sporting tale of resilience and belief.

Strachan is now the first manager since Jock Stein, and only the third in Celtic's 120-year history, to win three league titles in a row. Two last-16 Champions League appearances are a further testament to his tenure.

The remarkable renaissance has removed his future from the agenda, among the fans at least, but what more can he achieve at Celtic? Some might say he cannot surpass what he has done already with the resources at his disposal, but he may well consider building a team four' a lip-smacking prospect.

Burns' legacy was everywhere last night. In particular, Aiden McGeady's prodigious career to date is inextricably linked to him. As a precocious 15-year-old, McGeady used to complain to his mentor that he felt he should be given a chance in the first team. "Your time will come, son," Burns told him. It was no false platitude.

In the following years, the Celtic coach quietly sanded the rough edges off McGeady, diligently ensuring that his towering self-belief did not manifest itself in arrogance and that his mesmeric skill had an increasingly devastating end-product.

Stephen McManus stated before the game that Burns' death would give them an "extra 50% motivation". The important thing from Celtic's perspective was that their raw emotion did not spill over into anxiety. In the early stages, they looked to have channelled it in the correct manner, their early incursions marked by a patient, methodical probing.

McGeady, as ever, was the creative funnel. The winger had the first chance of the game when Nakamura squared it into his path and his thumping effort was saved by Lukasz Zaluska. Barry Robson's header two minutes later produced another excellent stop from the Polish goalkeeper.

The game ebbed and flowed, but in 10 second-half minutes, the title tilted in Celtic's favour. News of Lee Miller's strike against Rangers spread like wildfire through the Tannadice stands. The Celtic players looked at each other in wonder then turned to the bench for confirmation.

When their own opening goal arrived in the 72nd minute, it was appropriate that Paul Hartley was the provider. The midfielder's tigerish displays have galvanised Celtic over the past six weeks and his coruscating corner was met by the head of Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who rose like a salmon to plunge the ball into the net.

Soon after, news of Darren Mackie's clincher provoked further mayhem. Then it was all over.

The Celtic players pulled on T-shirts emblazoned with Burns' face and the message, You'll always be with us'.

McGeady hugged his team-mates and then wandered off on his own, wiping tears from his eyes as the reality sunk in. Soon after, the trophy was raised and the Celtic fans toasted their heroes. It was Burns night after all.