IF CELTIC do as well in their final push for the premier division title as they have done in the poll to select the writers' Player of The Year, they will fly off to Portugal on Sunday as champions for the first time since 1988.

Coincidentally, the choice by the Scottish Football Writers Association, Craig Burley, also comes 10 years after the victory of Paul McStay, the last Celtic man to win the prize.

Burley won by a distance from fellow Parkhead players Jackie McNamara, Jonathan Gould, and Henrik Larsson, making it a clean sweep by Celtic.

The former Chelsea player polled 68% of the vote to become one of the few players who have achieved this status in their first season in Scotland.

Burley, who cost Celtic #2.5m from the London club, had already been well established as a Scotland internationalist, but more as a full back than the midfield role chosen for him by coach Wim Jansen at Parkhead.

His performances this season in that role, however, have been so impressive that he is favourite to assume the job in that area left vacant by the injured Scotland captain, Gary McAllister, in the World Cup finals in France.

As well as his general contribution to the season, during which Celtic have lifted the Coca-Cola Cup and are on the verge of the championship, Burley has scored 15 goals for the club.

The 26-year-old, who was born in Ayr, will receive his award at a gala dinner in Glasgow on May 17.

He joins an impressive group of Celtic players, besides McStay, who have won this title: Billy McNeill; Ronnie Simpson; Bobby Murdoch; George Connelly; Danny McGrain; Charlie Nicholas; and Brian McClair.

The man himself admitted that he had not expected to be involved in award ceremonies when he joined the club last summer. ''Moving to Celtic has been the best move of my career and this is undoubtedly the best season I have had in football. A big bonus is the amount of goals I have scored.

''There are a number of worthy candidates at Celtic because of the way we have performed this season and I am thrilled to have come out ahead of them all to win the football writers' award.

''Things have gone so well for me and I hope to finish it all off in the way we want to.''

The midfield player confessed that scoring goals had not been high on his priority list when he came to Parkhead. . . ''but once I got a few under my belt I was keen to get forward more.

''I am delighted with my tally, but I suppose I should have been under pressure, being a #2.5m player, because of what the fans expected. But there are so many mega transfer fees nowadays that I do not feel that pressure and just try and get on with my job.

''Jackie won the players' award and now I have pipped him for the writers' award. However, we are all of the same view that winning for Celtic far outweighs anything on the personal side, although it is a bonus to win the award and it's great to be honoured in this way.

''But it's what happens to the team that matters and I have been fortunate only to miss one game due to suspension this season. I have been relatively injury-free. It has been a bit of a hard slog in recent weeks and I think the games have taken their toll.

''There has been no chance for rest and the form goes up and down when it gets to that stage of the season, but I have been able to bounce back and I have no worries on that score.

''Winning the cup was obviously a highlight, then scoring in the Old Firm game in the New Year was a bonus, too. People like winners and that's what Celtic want to be.''

Meanwhile, if Burley and his colleagues need any further encouragement, they got it from an unlikely source last night, when former Rangers player Jim Bett recalled how his title dreams died on the final game of the season.

The man who also played for Aberdeen had a message for the Celtic fans, effectively telling them that they could be instrumental in helping the side lift the championship.

Former Scotland World Cup man Bett knows what it takes to win and lose a championship on the final day from bitter personal experience.

He was a midfield player with Aberdeen in 1991 when they travelled to Ibrox needing only a point to clinch the championship. His team failed at the last hurdle, going down to a Mark Hateley double, and Bett believes it was the Ibrox fans who helped their team to that historic win.

''The Celtic fans can really help the players by getting right behind the team from start to finish,'' he said. ''There will be a lot of tension on that pitch, because there is so much to play for, but Parkhead is a magnificent and intimidating stadium.

''That could prove to be the factor which wins Celtic the championship. I remember when I went to Ibrox, with Aberdeen needing just a point for the league, I couldn't believe the noise the Rangers fans made.

''From all the years I played with Rangers, and on all the other occasions I went to Ibrox, I can never remember a time when they were so loud. What an advantage that gave them.

''It was an incredible atmosphere, really hostile.They drowned out our supporters and that certainly helped the Rangers players that day. The Celtic fans should do exactly the same.

''I saw that Wim Jansen asked for a wall of sound a few weeks ago and the fans will certainly have to provide that, because this is the biggest day in years for Celtic.''

Bett warned the Parkhead faithful that they must be patient. ''Celtic only need one goal to win it, so they will have to show patience on the park and the fans must do the same.

''If they start to get on the players' backs then things could go wrong and, even though Celtic have their own destiny in their hands, these games have a tendency of going all wrong for you - as I know from personal experience.''

Bett, who enjoyed a 20-year career at the top level, believes Celtic will hold their nerve and lift the championship, even though he feels Jansen's main concern is a lack of a natural goalscorer in the ranks.

He said: ''I like Henrik Larsson and I'm a big fan of Simon Donnelly, but they do all their best work outside the box.

''Donnelly is a good player and has chipped in with a couple of really important goals recently and Larsson looks a class act.

''However, it would be better if Celtic had a 30-goal a season man in the team, such as Jorge Cadete last season, who can nick a goal at any time.

''Mind you, after all that has happened, if Celtic don't win the league this season, they can have no complaints.''

Rangers fans are taking a different viewpoint, none the less, from their former player. The sale of tickets for the beam-back TV coverage at Ibrox of their team's game with Dundee United at Tannadice on Saturday has now reached an astonishing 20,000.

To cope with the rush, the Govan Stand concourse will remain open until late this evening. The club advises fans to buy tickets early because the capacity for this exercise is 32,000.

Meanwhile, Morten Wieghorst last night hit back at claims Celtic will collapse under pressure following their failure to clinch the championship at Dunfermline.

The midfield player said: ''It's my biggest game so far at Celtic, but there shouldn't be any fear involved. We should be looking forward to the game.

''Last Sunday's game at Dunfermline is forgotten. We play St Johnstone at home and know what we have to do. We've got to win the game and win the league.

''You cannot look back. We came close at Dunfermline, but we've got to make sure on Saturday. Hopefully, we'll score early and settle the nerves that way.''