Pressley goes to Celtic

The Scotland defender chose Parkhead over the Premiership by signing an 18-month contract with the Hoops on Friday. It is a blow to new boss Pardew, who had hoped to make ‘Elvis’ his first Valley recruit.

The former Hearts skipper admits he was tempted to move to England to avoid playing against the Jambos, but could not turn down the chance of playing for Celtic under former Coventry team-mate Gordon Strachan.

The 33-year-old said: ‘I had a better contract offered to me by Charlton – significantly better – but this was very much a football decision.

‘My heart was telling me to come here. Obviously I have a good relationship with Gordon and the coaching staff and the pull of this club was too great for me to turn down.

‘It looked very much like I was destined to finish my career at Tynecastle but unfortunately circumstances changed and I’ve been forced to make a footballing decision.

‘It will certainly be strange to go back there and sit in the away dressing room with the away team, but I’m looking forward to that and the challenges ahead.

‘Going to the Premiership and not facing Hearts was a consideration.

‘When you’ve spent such a long time and have such an affection for a football club then it’s hard to go back representing another team, but my passion is football and I’ve been given an opportunity at this stage of my career and one I’d certainly relish.

‘I hope the Hearts fans realise it was a professional decision and to play at this club is a great honour.

‘I now have to concern myself with trying to please the Celtic support. I’ll do my upmost to do that.

‘I honestly think I’ve got three or four years ahead of me and I want to give these years the best possible chance.’

Pressley reached an agreement to leave Hearts on December 9 after criticising the running of the club under majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov.

He said: ‘It was emotional because since I left four weeks ago, there’s been a number of factors why it’s taken me so long to make a decision.

‘One is obviously my family commitments with the birth of my baby daughter.

‘The other is it took me several weeks to get over the fact I’d no longer be playing there.

‘Now that’s happened I’m very much excited by this. I’ll enjoy coming here as just another player.

‘My most enjoyable times at Tynecastle were those when my sole concentration could be on playing football. I’ll certainly get that opportunity here.’

Pressley underwent a medical at The Valley before he phoned Charlton boss Alan Pardew to tell him he had chosen Celtic.

The ex-Rangers player said: ‘He’s a very persuasive man, a man of great charisma and I thoroughly enjoyed my meeting with him.

‘Charlton are a very good family club and very well operated.

‘It was a difficult decision but my heart said come to Celtic.

‘No disrespect to Charlton, but at this moment in time they’ve got a relegation battle on their hands and I thought the prospect of winning things was too great.’

It proves the club may face more struggles in trying to sign players while we are still looking at possible relegation.