Alan Rough has revealed how his first day as a Celtic player turned into a religious experience courtesy of the late and great Hoops legend Tommy Burns.

The former Scotland goalkeeper finally signed for his boyhood idols Celtic in August 1988 some 14 years after Jock Stein had wanted to prize him away from Partick Thistle.

Rough was capped 53 times by his country and played at the 1978 and 1982 World Cup finals. He was a member of the 1986 World Cup finals squad and made seven appearances for Celtic after initially being brought in as cover for Ian Andrews.

Rough said: "On my first day at Celtic, Tommy Burns met me at the door and introduced me to all the boys. We had a laugh and then we all went to training at Barrowfield. We always used to run along to Barrowfield and then run back again. When we had finished training Tommy stood at the door and asked me where I thought I was going. I told him I was going for a shower but he said that it was customary for new signings to go for an extra run with him on their first day.

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"It seemed a reasonable and fair enough request and we started running through all the streets of Glasgow. We ended up at St Mary's chapel in the Calton where Celtic were formed and where Tommy is now sadly buried. He nonchalantly turned to me and said: 'Hang on, I will only be half an hour as I am going to mass.' 

"I had to hang around and I sat around until he came back out. It would not have bothered me going into mass but it did come as a surprise to me that my first day at Celtic ended up at St Mary's chapel!

"That story sums up Tommy Burns wonderfully."

Rough also revealed how Burns was no angel when it came to the practice matches at training.

Far from being a Henry Kissinger, Burns was a bit of an instigator.

Rough joked: "I also tell people and I know he is a very well respected figure in football but in the games that we had at Celtic training if there was ever a troublemaker it was Tommy.

"It would be Tommy that would be arguing and it would be him that would be having a tussle with Mick McCarthy or Packie or whoever.

"Tommy had that winning mentality and possessed such a determination to win."