Dublin dreams of return to Europe

Dion Dublin is dreaming of the chance to be involved in the Champions League as he keeps his fingers crossed for a new one-year contract at Celtic.

The 36-year-old is on the verge of adding a Bank of Scotland Premier League championship medal to his CIS Insurance Cup prize following an unbelievable few months at Parkhead.

Dublin has enjoyed a renaissance since his January move from Leicester and hopes it is not going to come to an end just yet – with the Champions League around the corner.

He said: “Right now I am just looking to cram in as much fun and excitement as I possibly can. At this moment in time I only have until the end of the season here at the club.

“I don’t know about the long term, although I have my fingers crossed. To be offered another year would be amazing.

“I will be 37 but I am a baby compared to Teddy Sheringham. It’s all about looking after yourself in the right way.

“I will just have to wait and see what happens if and when the manager comes and speaks to me.

“There seems to be a rumour going around that I am going to be offered a coaching role but I don’t think there is anything to that. Feel free to spread it around though.

“To be honest I would just like to keep playing football for as long as I possibly can. Staying here would be great because it would hopefully mean being involved in the Champions League.”

Dublin thought his days of playing against the best in Europe had past him by after leaving Manchester United in 1994.

He added: “I was at United when they played Galatasaray when there was an incident with Eric Cantona over there.

“I also had a little taste of European football at Villa but not near the standard of the Champions League.

“It would be great to go to those stadiums and be a part of that, even as cover, but I will just have to wait and see.

“Having left Man United in ’94, it’s great to get back to a club of this size towards the end of my career.”

Dublin believes Celtic and United are similar clubs.

He said: “Now that I am here I actually think the clubs are very similar.

“When you look out of the reception area here there are loads of kids waiting for autographs.

“That’s very similar to United because even on a school day you get the parents looking for signatures for their kids.

“Again, there were always full houses at Old Trafford and that’s the way it is here at Celtic Park, which is great to be part of.”

Gordon Strachan’s men will win the title if they can beat Hearts at Parkhead tonight.

But Dublin believes time has calmed the Scot from their days together at Coventry.

“He has mellowed down a little bit with age,” he said.

“He doesn’t lose his temper so much, basically because he doesn’t have to.

“The quality players do the right things at the right time here and that means he is not as frustrated as he was.”

John Kennedy and Roy Keane have started running in their bids to regain fitness.