Celtic challenge excites Mowbray

Tony Mowbray says he feels "hugely honoured" after being appointed Celtic's new manager.

Mowbray, 45, told a media conference at Celtic Park on Wednesday that he was relishing the challenge of bringing silverware to the Glasgow club.

The former Celtic defender said he "felt drawn to this opportunity" and that he hoped supporters would watch his side with a sense of pride.

"My initial thoughts: I can't wait to get started, really," he said.

Mowbray arrives from West Brom along with assistant Mark Venus and first-team coach Peter Grant.

He has succeeded Gordon Strachan to become Celtic's 16th manager after the club agreed to pay £2m in compensation to West Brom.

Mowbray said he lived his life by "honesty, integrity, humility and respect" and he hoped to bring those qualities to the Celtic team.He played for Celtic between 1991 and 1995, straddled by spells with Middlesbrough and Ipswich, with whom he started his coaching career.

Present Celtic coach Neil Lennon will remain as part of the Scottish Premier League club's management team.

"I played here for four years in the early 1990s at a time when the club wasn't at its greatest heights," said Mowbray.

"Yet, when I left Celtic, I was overwhelmed by the support the greater family gave me."

Mowbray lost his wife to breast cancer during his playing time at the club and said he received thousands of messages of goodwill and support.

"It leaves you with a warmth and a support system behind you," he said. "When this opportunity arose for me, I felt drawn to it and here I am today."

Celtic chairman John Reid suggested that Mowbray was the natural choice as Strachan's successor.

"Welcome back Tony and, in a very real sense, welcome home," he said.

"Because that's how the Celtic supporters and the wider Celtic family feel. We're absolutely delighted to have secured Tony Mowbray as our manager.

"Tony's career speaks for itself; here and elsewhere as a player and a manager.

"The reason he is here today is because it was our firm view that he's not only shown he can bring football success with flair but he's also shown character, strength and determination."

Reid thought that Mowbray could revive Celtic's fortunes after losing the SPL title to Rangers.

"We've had a degree of success in recent years, but we had a disappointment three weeks and three days ago," he said.

"The fightback starts here and there's nobody better to lead that than Tony."