I'D RATHER HAVE CELTS' SILVER THAN CHARLTON'S GOLD

ELVIS was offered a King's ransom to join Charlton but all the money in the world can't guarantee silver.

Steven Pressley sat in the Walfrid Suite at Celtic Park yesterday evening with just one thing on his mind - to win trophies for his new club and himself.

The latest Parkhead signing left Rangers in 1994 and won a league title as a fringe player at Ibrox.

He had to wait until this year's Scottish Cup Final at Hampden to get his hands on a prize again when he led Hearts to their penalty shoot-out win over Gretna. Now he is hungry for more.

Pressley has always been a superb professional and not one person in football has a bad word for him. He is a Scotland regular and will go on to win more of caps. However, none of that compares with league trophies and cups. Silver.

According to Pressley, Charlton boss Alan Pardew is a persuasive man and the lure of Premiership football for a 33-year-old must have been huge.

But what would he have won at the London club? The best they can hope for is avoiding relegation. Celtic are looking to win the Double. No contest really.

That's why he said yes to Gordon Strachan.

Pressley said: "I spoke with Alan and Charlton made me a better contract offer, a significantly better offer. But this was a footballing decision.

"Celtic as a club sells itself and this is a fantastic opportunity. I will enjoy just being a player. My most enjoyable times were at Tynecastle where my sole concentration was on playing football. I will get that opportunity here.

"I still have fire in my belly. There is still a lot I want to do in my football career. I experienced winning silverware for the first time in eight and a half years with Hearts last season and it was a wonderful moment.

"Here there is an expectation level to win trophies and that very much excited me. I want to be a part of that.

"My heart told me to join Celtic. I have a very good relationship with Gordon and all the coaching staff. It was just too good to turn down.

"I never thought I would have to make a decision such as this in my career and I wanted to make sure I was making it for the correct reasons. I wanted to assess all the opportunities out there.

"Charlton are a very good club and are well run. They have employed an excellent manager and, if I'm perfectly honest, a persuasive one as well. But the pull of Celtic was too great.

"At this stage of my career, I want to win things. I mean no disrespect to Charlton, but they are caught in a relegation fight and I just thought the prospect of winning things at Celtic was too great."

There was a chance Pressley could have joined his old boss Craig Levein at Dundee United and taken up a coaching post but there is still a lot of football to be played before he goes down that road.

Pressley said: "What everyone needs to realise is that I'm not ready for coaching yet. Yes, I've taken my badges but plain coaching doesn't interest me.

"I got caught up in the politics at Hearts which meant that I couldn't concentrate solely on my football.

"I think I have three of four years ahead of me. I genuinely do. I want to give those years the best possible chance."

And while Celtic and the chance to win more medals helped, Pressley's relationship with Strachan was a big factor in his decision.

Only they know how many phone calls have been made over the past month or so and there is a respect between the pair going back to the days when they were team-mates.

Pressley said: "Gordon arrived at Coventry during Ron Atkinson's time and he was player-coach there. I got to know him during that time.

"His record speaks for itself. He has done an exceptional job at Celtic, especially when he came in on the back of Martin O'Neill. He has dealt with all the pressure superbly."

Normally a 33-year-old with a superb career behind him should not really have to prove himself at a new club but Pressley knows he will have to.

He admitted that several times because he is aware some Celtic fans are unsure about their club's latest bit of business.

Pressley said: "You have to prove yourself to any support when joining a new club. The only way I can do that is to turn in positive performances.

"If you don't produce on the field then you have to accept criticism. That will be the way for me at Celtic.

"There is pressure here - a level of expectation which comes with being at this club - and I'm well aware of that."

Pressley is fit but it remains to be seen whether he will play against Kilmarnock on Tuesday. He said: "I have been road-running for the past four weeks. I've been like Forrest Gump.

"My fitness is at a decent level but I'm unsure about my football level because I haven't played in four and a half weeks.

"I will assess that when I start training again."

It will be strange to see Steven Pressley wearing a strip that's not maroon and pulling on the green and white hoops of Celtic.

But as the man himself said: "It's amazing how quickly things have changed. If you had said to me two months ago, I wouldn't have believed I would be playing for Celtic."

Ah, but as a man who has played for Hearts over the past two years of turmoil should know, always expect the unexpected.

And it may turn out that Vladimir Romanov has done Celtic a massive favour.

PRESSLEY FACTFILE

1973: Born October 11, Elgin.

1990: Signs for Rangers.

1993: Wins Scottish Cup in 2-1 win over Aberdeen at Parkhead.

1994: Joins Coventry for £600,000.

1995: Returns to Scotland and signs for Dundee United in a £750,000 deal.

1996: United promoted back to the Premier Division after play-off win over Partick Thistle.

1997: Plays in League Cup Final at Ibrox but United lose 3-0 to Celtic.

1998: Joins Hearts on a free.

2000: Earns first Scotland cap in home friendly defeat by France.

2001: Named as Hearts captain.

2003: Hearts finish third in SPL.

2005: Signs new two-year deal and later expresses bitter disappointment when Hearts sack George Burley.

2006: Oct 11 - Sent off playing for Scotland in Euro 2008 qualifier against Ukraine. Oct 27 - Flanked by Craig Gordon and Paul Hartley, he issues a statement claiming it had become an impossible task to implement the correct values and disciplines at the club under the existing regime. Dec 9 -Hearts announce he has left the club. Dec 29 - Signs for Celtic until the end of the 2007-8 season.

Taken from the Daily Record