Liam Burt admits he always pined for a return to Celtic as he opened up on his return to the club from Rangers.
The midfielder agreed a two-year deal with the Premiership champions during the summer having initially been on the books as a kid.
He then spent eight years at Ibrox - making a first team debut in 2016 - but after a difficult final season he was let go.
Just over a month later, the 20-year-old was spotted at Lennoxtown before being offered a contract in August.
And Burt insists it was a dream come true to be given a second chance at the club he loves.
He told the Celtic View: “This is my boyhood club and, ever since I left, I’ve wanted to come back.
"I was around eight when I first joined Celtic and I left at Under-12 level
“Then I was at Rangers for around eight years. Towards the end of last season, I just wasn’t enjoying my football. I had a talk with Rangers and expressed my feeling, they expressed theirs and we parted ways.
"Willie McStay was always back and forth with me. I had other options, but this was my main focus."
Having featured regularly for the reserves so far this season, Burt now hopes to grab Neil Lennon 's attention.
He added: "I’m hoping to start every game in the reserves, score more goals and catch the manager’s eye.
"It’s all down to impressing every day in training.”
