Celtic ended their drawn-out search for a new manager today when they officially announced Tony Mowbray will be the club's new manager, replacing Gordon Strachan.
Mowbray, who is believed to have cost around £2m in compensation, will be unveiled at a press conference tomorrow morning. He will be joined by assistant manager Mark Venus and former Celtic midfielder Peter Grant after Celtic thrashed out a package to release all three from their contracts at West Brom.
Mowbray returns to Celtic Park
Mowbray is a former Hibs and West Bromwich Albion manager who has become known for his strong football philosophy.
His young Hibernian side earned a lot of plaudits for playing attractive football, and he took the Edinburgh side to consecutive top 4 finishes as well as bringing European football to Easter Road.
Another high point of his reign was when his Hibs side beat Rangers 3 times in one season.
He is also credited with playing a huge part in the development of several young players including Scott Brown, Gary Caldwell, Kevin Thompson, Steven Whittaker, Derek Riordan and Garry O'Connor.
Scott Brown and Gary Caldwell re-united with their former boss
He continued to build his reputation in the English Championship with WBA, turning around the clubs fortunes and taking them to the play-off final, narrowly losing to Derby in the final.
The next season saw several key players depart for Premier League sides, but several shrewd signings helped West Brom romp their way to the title scoring more goals than any other team in the country. He also took the team to the semi-final of the FA Cup, losing narrowly to eventual winners Portsmouth.
The next season proved a more difficult one, with The Baggies relegated back to the Championship by just 4 points. Once again, however, his team won a lot of praise for the way they played.
The style of play is important to a lot of Celtic fans, who not only want to win - but want to win in style. The lack of attractive football was one of the main reasons a section of the support were unhappy with Mowbray's predecessor Gordon Strachan.
'Mogga' now faces the challenge of wrestling the title back from Old Firm rivals Rangers, and trying to steer the club into the Champions League.
It remains to be seen what players he will bring in, and what players will be leaving Parkhead.
Mowbray was a Celtic player under Tommy Burns and admitted the mark the club left on his heart in an open letter to fans. The former defender was the man who started the iconic pre-match huddle as a show of solidarity during a pre-season tour of Germany.
His arrival as manager will also see the return of Celtic diehard Peter Grant, a dedicated midfielder who made over 300 appearances in The Hoops. It has also been announced that Neil Lennon will remain part of the coaching set-up at Celtic Park.
Grant returns as part of the coaching staff
The hope from Celtic fans around the world is that Mowbray can continue to merge his attractive style of football with success at Celtic Park.
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