Celtic loan signing Kamara sure Robbie Keane factor can make the difference in Cup clash

DIOMANSY KAMARA insists he was delighted to be upstaged by Robbie Keane mere hours after being unveiled himself as Celtic's big transfer window signing.

Kamara was the centre of attention after joining the Hoops on loan from Fulham on Monday morning.

But his capture could hardly have been more quickly forgotten once news emerged Keane was on his way from Tottenham.

Yet, rather than act as if his thunder had been stolen, Kamara was as giddy as any Celtic fan about the capture of his fellow 29-year-old.

"When you have top-class players in your team, you're always excited to play with these kinds of players," Kamara said.

"You play football to play with the best players. When we saw him arrive, we said, 'Ah, nice'. It's better he signed for Celtic than for Rangers!"

Kamara may not have joined the thousands gathered outside Parkhead for their idol's midnight unveiling but he could appreciate their excitement.

"Robbie Keane is a big star and he is a Celtic fan," the Senegal striker said.

"I'm so happy for him, I think he came here to play, to score goals, and this is the most important thing for everyone.

He played for Inter Milan, for Liverpool, he was the captain of Ireland, he was the captain also at Tottenham. It's massive for us to have a player like this in our team. He can make the difference."

Kamara knows, however, that the sight of Keane in a Hoops jersey will inspire opponents as much it will team-mates, as Celtic found to their cost in Tuesday night's shock Clydesdale Bank Premier League defeat at Kilmarnock.

"He played so well on Tuesday – he had chances to score," Kamara said.

"When you have a player like Robbie Keane in your team, everyone wants to beat you."

Keane's next chance to prove himself comes in tomorrow's Active Nation Scottish Cup fifth-round tie at Dunfermline.

Looking to upstage him in the same way Chris Maguire did on Tuesday is Pars striker Andy Kirk.

"We're a good side and we're at home, so we have got to be positive and look forward to the game," the Northern Ireland international said.

"There is no point going into a game thinking you are not going to get a result. If we can keep them quiet for 20 minutes or half an hour then that will give us a platform to build on ourselves."