Champions League winner had agreed Celtic move before late Premier League U-turn and admits 'not a great call'

Former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke has revealed he had “agreed to the terms and conditions” of a move to Celtic in 2004 before a late U-turn.

The Trinidad and Tobago legend, who won the Champions League with the Red Devils, was on the verge of joining Martin O’Neill’s side from Blackburn Rovers until he made the decision to link up with Steve Bruce at Birmingham City, a somewhat controversial decision having played nearly 300 times for their city rivals Aston Villa.

“I nearly joined Martin O'Neill's Celtic permanently,” he told LegalSportsbooks.com. “It happened very quickly and in 17 years of my career I had never played outside of the top English division, never been on loan or anything. I was always around the first team from the time I joined Aston Villa. Celtic was and is a big club. I went to Celtic Park and I agreed to the terms and conditions, but then Birmingham City and Steve Bruce came in at the last minute.

“I knew Bruce quite well, but I was an Aston Villa man for 10 years so looking back on it, it probably was not a great call but I always wanted to stay and play in the Premier League, that's why I turned down Celtic. In hindsight, going to Birmingham City was not a great call but it only lasted a short time then I went to Australia where I got my passion back, came back to Sunderland and got them promoted to the Premier League then played in the World Cup. So if I went to Celtic, none of that might have happened.”