By Cathal Dervan

IRISH stars Darren O’Dea and Aiden McGeady were both on the scoresheet as Celtic opened their New Year campaign with a 2-0 home win over Kilmarnock on Tuesday afternoon.

O’Dea opened the scoring in the 39th minute of the first half and substitute McGeady spared Celtic’s blushes after a poor all round performance when he added a second in the last minute. The game also marked the Celtic debut of former Hearts captain Steven Pressley.

Rangers boss Paul Le Guen dropped captain Barry Ferguson after a training ground row that may end the midfielder’s second spell at the club, but the Gers were still too good for Motherwell in a 1-0 win.

Stephen Kenny’s Dunfermline remain rooted to the bottom of the table after they were beaten 1-0 at home by Hearts.

Celtic boss Gordon Strachan pipped Premiership side Charlton to the signature of former Hearts skipper Pressley –- just days after Parkhead medics confirmed that central defender Bobo Balde faces up to two months on the sidelines with a broken leg.

Strachan’s late intervention secured Pressley’s signature, but only after the Scottish star had passed a medical and agreed terms with struggling Charlton.

Ultimately the lure of the Champions League next season and the chance to win a Championship medal with runaway league leaders Celtic proved too good to turn down for Pressley, released by Hearts last month after criticizing the way the club is run.

Pressley, who has signed an 18 month deal with Celtic, said, “I had a better contract offered me by Charlton — significantly better — but this was very much a football decision.

“My heart was telling me to come here. Obviously I have a good relationship with Gordon and the coaching staff and the pull of this club was too great for me to turn down.

“It looked very much like I was destined to finish my career at Tynecastle but unfortunately circumstances changed and I’ve been forced to make a footballing decision.

“It will certainly strange to go back there and sit in the sway dressingroom with the away team, but I’m looking forward to that and the challenges ahead. Going to the Premiership and not facing Hearts was a consideration.

“When you’ve spent such a long time and have such an affection for a football club then it’s hard to go back representing another team, but my passion is football and I’ve been given an opportunity at this stage of my career and one I’d certainly relish.

“I hope the Hearts fans realize it was a professional decision and to play at this club is a great honor. I now have to concern myself with trying to please the Celtic support. I’ll do my utmost to do that.

“I honestly think I’ve got three or four years ahead of me and I want to give these years the best possible chance. It was a difficult decision but my heart said come to Celtic.

“No disrespect to Charlton, but at this moment in time they’ve got a relegation battle on their hands and I thought the prospect of winning things was too great.”

The veteran Pressley could hardly contain his excitement at the Parkhead press conference to announce his arrival and added, “I’m absolutely thrilled and honored to join Celtic. It’s a fantastic opportunity for me at this age.

“There are plenty of challenges. There is the opportunity to win silverware here at Celtic Park. In eight-and-a-half years at Hearts I got the opportunity to do that only once and it was a fantastic feeling.

“Here there are expectations to do that on a regular basis and an added pressure with that but one I’m looking forward to. Winning the cup last year gave me a taste of it and once you have a taste you want more.”

Manager Strachan believes he has finally landed the leader his defense needs, with Balde joining Gary Caldwell and John Kennedy on the long term injured list.

“I’ve known him since he was a kid and he has got better every year, not only as a player, as a man,” said Strachan. “He has shown over the last few years he is an exceptional leader. He has presence, not only on the field but in the dressing room.

“We need these kind of people at our club. Our center-halves are young, we need a leader. My midfield players can look at Shunsuke Nakamura and Neil Lennon to see how midfield play is meant to be done.

“It is easy for me when players can watch good players in their position. Steven will be the perfect example on and off the pitch of how to deal with being a centre-half and a Celtic player.”

Despite Derek Riordan’s first goal for the club Celtic were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw by Motherwell on Saturday when substitute Darren Smith landed a late equalizer for the home side after some heroic goalkeeping from the Bhoys’ Poland international Artur Boruc.

“I thought Motherwell deserved a goal, that’s for sure. Like any manager who allows a team to get more chances than you, you have got to be a bit concerned,” Strachan said.

“We had enough of the ball in the middle of the park in the first half but we didn’t do enough when we got in the final third.”

Celtic could lose midfielder Stephen Pearson in the transfer window after Strachan agreed to let him go if the right offer comes in. Sunderland and Derby County are both keen in the former Motherwell player.

Stokes for Arsenal

SCOTTISH League goal scoring sensation Anthony Stokes has gone back to Arsenal to sort out his future -– but it now seems highly unlikely he will be returning to Falkirk after a hugely successful loan spell.

Falkirk want to keep the Irish teenager until the end of the season, but the decision on his next move now rests with his Arsenal employers after the striker scored another hat-trick in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Inverness.

Celtic and Sunderland head the list of clubs interested in a permanent deal for Stokes, while Premiership strugglers Charlton want to take him to the Valley on loan.

Stokes told the Irish Daily Star, “I honestly don’t know where my future lies. My deal with Falkirk has expired and it hasn’t been renewed so it’s a case now of waiting to see what Arsenal want to do and I guess I’ll take it from there.

“Even if I do leave Falkirk, which looks likely now, I will always be proud that I scored 14 goals here.”

Irish under-21 international Stokes has been on fire since he moved to Scotland on loan back in September and hit his third hat-trick of the season against Inverness to the delight of Falkirk boss John Hughes. who hasn’t given up hope of keeping the player.

Hughes said, “All credit to Anthony, he scored three smashing goals and he could have had another one or two. Nothing has changed. We’re just sitting waiting on that phone call with our fingers crossed hoping he is still with Falkirk in the New Year.

“He enjoys it up here, we enjoy having him and the goals return is incredible. He has got three hat-tricks and I don’t think that will be repeated in a long time, by somebody so young as well.

“We’re waiting but no news is good news isn’t it? All the paperwork is there and we’re just hoping to get the nod. It’s not frustrating. First and foremost I’m thankful for him being up here in the first place and delighted with his goals.

“Fingers crossed we get the nod to keep him. If Arsene Wenger is saying he is happy for him to stay I’d be happy to keep him.”

Hughes could yet get his way as Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has apparently cleared the way for Stokes to stay in Scotland according to media reports who quoted Wenger as saying, “It depends on him. I will not force him to come back.

“I feel he will benefit from having one year in the SPL as a first team player. Then he will be in a strong position to come back and say I want to play here. I have plenty of players out on loan so let’s show for a year how good you are.”

Charlton could offer Stokes a loan deal in the Premiership and Wenger added, “I am not against it but it depends on him. I would love for him to play in the Premier League but I have had no request from Charlton.”

Doyle’s Great Year

KEVIN Doyle is the red hot favorite to be named Ireland’s senior player of the year at the annual eircom/FAI International Awards next month, with Shay Given and Damien Duff also nominated.

Doyle, who scored twice for Reading in Monday’s 6-0 win over West Ham, could make it a double as he is also nominated for the Young International Player award along with Aiden McGeady and Paul McShane.

Derry City’s Gary Beckett, Shelbourne’s Ollie Cahill and Cork City’s Roy O’Donovan have been nominated for the 2006 eircom League of Ireland Player of the Year

All the awards will be presented at the eircom/FAI International Awards on Sunday, February 4 at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin.