Petrov adds to Celtic cheer

Famous win 
The Scottish champions, who booked a semi-final tie against Boavista FC by knocking Liverpool FC out of the UEFA Cup on Thursday night, revealed that the Bulgarian international had signed the new contract at Parkhead today.

All sides happy 
The 23-year-old had previously stated his dissatisfaction with the club's offer of a new deal and intimated that he would let his current contract at the club expire in 2004 before leaving for another challenge. However, manager Martin O'Neill has persuaded the Celtic board to give the former PFC CSKA Sofia player the deal he wanted.

Manager happy 
O'Neill said: "I'm absolutely delighted. Stan is fully deserving of this contract and, although it may have seemed an awfully long, drawn-out saga, I've never been in any doubt that he deserved some kind of reward for his excellent performances over the last 18 months."

Busy time 
Petrov will be a key figure for Celtic in the weeks ahead as they look forward to meeting Boavista of Portugal on 8 and 24 April, while competing with city rivals Rangers FC for this season's Scottish Premier League title.