Charlie Nicholas u-turn as he pays in to become Postecoglou cheer-leader!

Charlie Nicholas has bought a ticket to transform himself from arch-critic into Celtic cheer-leader.

For more than 20 years the former Celtic striker has been hanging around the Sky Sports studio with Jim White and running down almost every Celtic achievement.

Nicholas could be counted on to throw up a negative to whatever Virgil van Dijk, Moussa Dembele or Odsonne Edouard came up with. He even managed to criticise the now Crystal Palace striker for not celebrating goals in the right way.

There has certainly been areas of Celtic well worthy of criticism such as the leadership of Peter Lawwell and three years of dubious signings such as Hatem Abd Elhamed, Marian Shved, Vakoun Bayo, Ismaila Soro, Vasilis Barkas etc etc etc but the bottom line is that the last 21 years have been incredibly successful in terms of domestic trophies alongside a couple of spectacular European results.

Sky Sports ended Nicholas’ contract last year, on Saturday he paid his way into Celtic Park for the win over St Johnstone with the Daily Record picking up on his column in The Express:

I became a fully paid-up supporter of Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic at the weekend, I was back in the Parkhead stands on Saturday with two of my brothers-in-law for the win over St Johnstone.

It was my first time in a while after TV commitments and everything else. I have always wanted to get back to the games with all the changes that have happened at Celtic.

The team is definitely heading in the right direction. I had always said it would be October or November before we can really judge Ange.

I know Ange suggests he only has a Plan A but I do think he has other options in his head. I wanted to see his team for myself and how he is trying to piece all these new signings together.

I really do think Celtic can squeeze Rangers all the way in this Premiership race. I still think that Rangers are favourites but I like what the new Celtic boss is building. Rangers are ahead in the table and they also have key players coming back.

They are more solid and because of that they have the advantage over Celtic but I can definitely see this Celtic team clicking and challenging Rangers. I saw that first-hand at the weekend.

I admit that defensive strategies and building from the back are not things I am big into. Ange has clearly built from the front. I was at the St Johnstone game and it gave me a really good insight.