New Celtic signing Paddy McCourt admits he almost joined West Brom last week.

"I was all set to sign for West Brom," the Irish winger told the Daily Record. "I was down there with them and then got the call from Celtic. From that moment on I was only going to one place.

"I couldn't tell anyone, which was difficult, but I'd promised not to say a word. But I was never going to say no.

"It is unbelievable that a boy like me from Derry could sign for Celtic. It's a dream for me and my family.

"It was so out of the blue that there were only a few people at Celtic Park. John Park (chief scout) was fantastic with me and I got a tour of the ground, which was amazing because I'd never seen anything behind the scenes before.

"Then I stood out on the pitch for a moment on my own. There wasn't a soul around and it was then it hit home that I'd just signed for Celtic. Utterly amazing."