Parkhead hero Charlie Nicholas thinks Strachan will soon head for Celtic exit

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Last week, Strachan became just the third manager in the club's 120-year history to win three successive titles.

But a section of the Celtic support has never warmed to him and Sky Sports pundit Nicholas does not believe he will be at the club much longer.

Triple joy: Strachan lifts the SPL trophy aloft for the third successive season but Nicholas thinks the manager will soon be looking for new position

"Gordon became the first Celtic boss since Jock Stein to win three consecutive titles - but I don't expect him to hang around," said Nicholas. "He now has the opportunity to walk away from the club with his head held high.

"His record during his three years at the helm has been fantastic. He has won three titles, reached the last 16 of the Champions League twice and won a couple of domestic competitions. So his CV looks good and I think Gordon will now try to engineer a return to England.

"There are still large sections of the Celtic support who just don't fancy him and I don't think that will ever change. I'm pretty sure, if the team made a poor start to next season, it wouldn't be long before the fans would want him out. I fully expect him to walk away in the next few weeks - and he can do so knowing it's impossible to argue with his record."

Nicholas praised the contributions of Paul Hartley, Barry Robson and Stephen McManus - but singled out Gary Caldwell as one of the main reasons for Celtic's stunning championship win.

He said: "Robson and Hartley were excellent during the run-in and perhaps Strachan regrets not playing them earlier in the campaign. The defence still isn't strong enough, but you have to give credit to Stephen McManus and Gary Caldwell. They have formed a really good partnership.

"I'm not Caldwell's greatest fan but it's only fair to give him credit when he is performing well. I would be tempted to say his improvement and excellent displays over the last few months are the main reasons Celtic are champions."