Paradise lost. Celtic Park is no stranger to drama but it has never witnessed excitement quite so surreal as the search for Fernando Gago's lost St Christopher's medal.

Paradise lost. Celtic Park is no stranger to drama but it has never witnessed excitement quite so surreal as the search for Fernando Gago's lost St Christopher's medal.

If that sounds like the title of a dodgy South American detective novel then, well, it was not far off it. Throw in Diego Maradona and a 13-year-old ball-boy and the plot thickens even more. When Gago, the 22-year-old Real Madrid midfielder, attempted to catch a pass on his chest during the Argentine squad's training session at Parkhead last night, the medallion popped off and nestled in the glistening turf.

Cue a mass search conducted with such earnestness that the small matter of the training session was completely forgotten about. At the centre of it all was the portly presence of arguably the greatest player the world has ever seen.

Not much silverware eluded Maradona during his decorated playing career and he was determined that this troublesome trinket was not going to slip through his grasp. After five minutes, the players began to lose interest in the search. Carlos Tevez sucked on an orange and shrugged nonchalantly before disappearing up the tunnel. Still Diego continued to hunt. The search party now consisted of a smattering of Argentina's back-room staff, Maradona and the Parkhead ball-boys.

Ten minutes passed and even the dogged Diego was ready for throwing in the towel. Just then, a cry filled the night air. "FOUND IT," yelled Adam Brown, a 13-year-old ball-boy who turns out as a winger for Celtic's under-14 side.

Diego turned and raised his arms to the heavens. He then walked over and lifted the teenager into the air with a beaming smile before giving him his hat and gloves as a keep-sake. The gesture prompted a round of applause from the hordes of world media assembled to catch a glimpse of the Argentine legend ahead of his coaching debut tomorrow at Hampden. And so Diego wandered off. Paradise found.

Meantime, young Master Brown was ready to assume centre stage. As the media trained its gaze on the teenager, he eagerly expanded on his close encounter with Maradona. "It was good . . . brilliant," he said breathlessly, handling the media circus like an experienced ring-master. "When he lifted me up it was brilliant. It was a wee gold medallion with a face on it, which had come off a necklace. He gave me his hat and gloves in return.

I will probably frame them.

He's a legend."

Argentina had arrived for their session at 6.14pm in their full kit. By 6.15pm, they were on the pitch limbering up. Maradona cut an impassive figure throughout, happily loitering at the side of the park with his chest puffed out in inimitable fashion.

Celtic welcomes Diego Maradona and Argentina to Paradise' read the sign on the big screen at Parkhead. In the main stand lurked battalions of media. There were camera crews from Fox in Australia, Al Jazeera and Canal Plus; journalists from as far away as Fiji and Japan.

That Maradona's return to coaching is a story of global significance had been proven the day before at Glasgow Airport. As he glided through the terminal on Sunday, the 48-year-old looked a picture of serenity. The media scrum, the adoring fans, he took it all in with a steady gaze.

He had seen it all before. Hero worship does not do justice to the reverence the World Cup winner is afforded wherever he goes. It is arguable whether any footballer in history has attracted so much deification. It is now commonplace to use his middle name, Armando', as if to grant him a further layer of respect.

His return to Scotland has taken the form of a heart-tugging romantic waltz. Hampden was the venue where his genius first found expression on the international stage. As an 18-year-old, he scored his first goal for his country. It is a moment that has entered Scottish football folklore, alongside Zinedine Zidane's glorious volley for Real Madrid in the 2002 Champions League final. The Hand of God goal against England has further endeared him to an audience north of the border and, on his arrival on Sunday, Maradona was asked to sign pictures of the infamous moment at the 1986 World Cup.

However, it would be wrong to claim that his appointment earlier this month drew universal approval. Argentina may revere Maradona for his enormous talents as a player, but public opinion was divided when it was announced that he would replace Alfio Basile, who stepped down on October 16 following a 1-0 defeat to Chile in World Cup qualifying. Online polls for daily newspapers La Nacion and Clarin found that 75% of respondents disapproved of his appointment.

There were few rational reasons to appoint Maradona. The 48-year-old has next to no coaching pedigree. In 1994, he guided two Argentine club teams, Deportivo Mandiyu and Racing Club, to just three victories in 23 games. He was not the favourite for the post. Carlos Bianchi, who won four domestic titles, three continential titles and two intercontinental titles with Boca Juniors, was the frontrunner. Sergio Batista, the coach who guided Argentina under-23 team to Olympic gold in Beijing, was also in the frame.

Batista was said to be favoured among the players, who reacted with little more than cautious optimism to Maradona's appointment. "Diego needs to think more with his head than his heart now that he's coach," said Tevez. Hoarcio Pagani, a local newspaper columnist, described Maradona as "the least prepared manager in the history of international soccer".

"We have the security of excellence," insisted Julio Grondona, the head of the Argentine Football Association, when quizzed about Maradona's credentials for the post. Marcello Lippi, the World Cup-winning coach with Italy in 2006, added: "His charisma will make the players follow him 100%. They will listen to him like an oracle."

That does not mean, however, that what he is telling them is right. Great players rarely make great coaches. Astutely, Carlos Bilardo, the coach who guided Argentina to World Cup success in 1986, has been appointed as general manager. On the basis of last night's session, it is not unreasonable to assume Maradona's role will be more peripheral than many imagine - more about charisma than coaching.

Argentina are at a low ebb and it is hoped that his presence will galvanise them. "They talk about my inexperience but I've spent 20-odd years in the Argentina team. That's why it makes me laugh when people talk about inexperience," he insisted after being appointed.

Regardless of tactical acumen, there are questions over Maradona's ability to cope with his demons. After retiring in 1997, he spent the best part of a decade on a path to self-destruction. During that period he was hospitalised with alcohol-induced liver problems, had gastric bypass surgery for obesity problems and spent 10 days in intensive care with respiratory problems after what was suspected to be a cocaine-induced heart attack.

Maradona should be dead, but throughout it all his reputation as a footballer remained alive. Even if he fails as Argentina coach, the memory of his talents will survive. They have emerged intact through much worse.