Gordon Strachan will tomorrow return to the scene of arguably his finest domestic achievement at Celtic.

Gordon Strachan will tomorrow return to the scene of arguably his finest domestic achievement at Celtic. It is just a few short months since his side lifted the Clydesdale Bank Premier League trophy at Tannadice on a May evening drenched in drama and high emotion.

Many thought that would be his swansong, but the Celtic manager has returned for his fourth season and has been busy furnishing his squad for another domestic and European campaign.

Glenn Loovens, Cardiff City's 24-year-old Dutch defender, is the latest to check in to Parkhead after Celtic pinched him from under Rangers' noses. Strachan was delighted to add another central defender to his roster who, he believes, will fit into his preferred passing game. "We were going to be short in the centre-back department so he has been on our radar for a wee while," he said. "It's about getting people that really want to come here. That's what Loovens wanted to do. It will put pressure on other players to do well.

"It is imperative that everyone in your team can pass the ball. If they don't then it breaks the flow of the passing movements - players don't move because they know there is going to be a break, or you give the ball away and are defending all the time. I'm trying to build a team where everybody can handle the ball. We are delighted he's here."

Stephen McManus, the club captain, and the rejuvenated Gary Caldwell are the current central defensive partnership and Strachan dismissed the suggestion that Loovens would displace one of them with immediate effect. "I signed a guy called Viorel Moldovan for £3.5m 10 years ago and he couldn't get a game ahead of Dion Dublin and Darren Huckerby, who we eventually sold for £7.5m and £5m," said Strachan.

If anyone was going to make way for Loovens at some point this season, then it would seem more likely to be Caldwell but the Scotland international finished last season strongly and was solid in Celtic's opening game of the season last weekend, a 1-0 win over St Mirren. Strachan was effusive in his praise for the defender.

"For one reason or another Gary Caldwell is not everybody's favourite but, without doubt, when the real pressure was on he was our best player," said Strachan. "We can all play when the sun is shining and we are 3-0 up, but Gary Caldwell was the man who played when it mattered and that made a huge difference. Even the crowd now are saying, what a good player you are'."

Strachan has also been pleased with the initial progress shown by Marc Crosas, the 20-year-old midfielder who signed last weekend from Barcelona. "He will take a wee bit longer but he must be really pleased with his training sessions. We are delighted with him. It gets a wee bit harum scarum in the SPL, people chase you quicker, but he's handled it great in the last couple of days training. At the moment it looks like a good bit of business, but you never know."

Tannadice was the venue for Celtic's dramatic final-day triumph last season, when they secured a 1-0 victory to lift the Premier League trophy. Strachan admitted it was one of the highlights of his career. "For pure satisfaction it was up there with Leeds United winning the second division. When someone sets you a target and you achieve it is an incredibly satisfying thing.

"Even when I came here at first, to get the title back was the thing we had to do and we did that. That was so satisfying. The sheer joy on the players' faces that night at Tannadice will live with me for a long time. I've not seen the celebrations of the players yet, though I would like to. I've not even seen the games. I was out the door quite quickly. I've still got the memories of standing back from it and watching the players enjoying themselves. One day I will sit down and watch it."

Celtic could have Shunsuke Nakamura back for tomorrow's game, while Barry Robson and Lee Naylor should both recover from different ailments to play. Strachan expects another tough encounter against a United side who will be smarting from their 3-1 defeat to newly promoted Hamilton Accies on Monday night. "It Hamilton v Dundee United was a cracking game of football. I enjoyed it. Dundee United set standards last year that they can be very pleased about. I'm sure they will do well again this year."