McManus desperate for San Siro tilt

Celtic defender Stephen McManus is hoping for a family affair when the Hoops take on AC Milan in the second leg of their Champions League clash on March 7.

The Giuseppe Meazza was one of 25 grounds in Italy closed to spectators last week in the aftermath of the death of policeman Filippo Raciti during the Sicilian derby between Palermo and Catania.

It had been suggested that the return leg of the Parkhead club’s last-16 tie could be moved to France or Switzerland.

However, Celtic took a step closer to playing in front of a full house at the San Siro after the Italian side played a Serie A match against Livorno in front of 21,000 fans at the famous old stadium, which had new turnstiles installed as the first step towards the requisite improvement needed to host the match against the Glasgow side next month.

McManus, who helped the Hoops to a 1-0 Bank of Scotland Premier League win over Hibernian at Parkhead on Saturday which took them to within four wins of retaining their title, is relishing the prospect, not only for himself but for his father and friends.

He said: “The San Siro would be a great experience for me but also for my friends and family who are hoping to travel.

“My dad is due to be going over and I imagine it will be the same for the rest of the players, they will have family over.

“You never know what might happen in football. You might never be able to play in a game like this again, so you want the experience to be a memorable as possible, with your friends and family there.”

The SPL champions are a much-changed side from that which played AC Milan in the group stages of the tournament in 2004/05, losing 3-1 in the San Siro and drawing 0-0 at Celtic Park.

McManus is confident that he will be more involved than he was under previous manager Martin O’Neill.

He said: “I was in the squad the last time but didn’t get stripped. However, it was a great experience just being there and seeing the likes of Kaka, Cafu, Maldini and Shevchenko.

“I was just pleased to be part of the first-team squad but now, hopefully, if I play well in the next game, I will be in contention for a starting place.”

Meanwhile, the champions continue on their inexorable quest to retain their SPL title.

The Hoops were not at their best against the Easter Road side on Saturday but still did enough to take all three points, courtesy of Craig Beattie’s 54th-minute header.

Hibs defender Kevin McCann was left cursing the one moment in the game when he allowed McGeady to find the space to get a good cross in.

He said: “Aiden is great player with very fast feet. I gave him too much room and allowed him to get his cross in. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement but I hope I will learn from that experience.”