SPL defences should be heaving a huge sigh of relief, as they have just had a very narrow escape.

Celtic's bid to bring Kevin Doyle from Wolves to partner Gary Hooper in the Hoops attack went all the way to the wire as the transfer window prepared to shut.

The Republic of Ireland international decided it was not the right time to leave the Championship club.

For that, defences in Scotland should be truly grateful, according to Doyle's team-mate at Wolves, Cristophe Berra.

It is a deal which Celtic could revisit this summer, and the Scotland defender is convinced the 29-year-old would run riot in the SPL, and help Hooper become an even more of a potent hitman.

Berra said: "It would have been some pairing They're both experienced, though Kevin has got a bit more of that than Gary.

"If I was in a back line against them, I know I would definitely have been getting worked all day.

"You could not switch off for a split second or they would get behind you and punish you.

"Kevin is a top player who has done a lot in his career. I certainly would not like to play against him. He backs into opponents and makes it very difficult for you."

Berra is delighted Doyle remains a team-mate at Wolves, but knows it was a close call.

"We actually had a game on the night the window closed, at Leicester, and got on the bus about 10.30pm after it," said the ex-Hearts man.

"That was when my fiancee, Amy, texted me to ask: 'Is Kevin going to Celtic?'

"I asked him and I think it was touch and go, but, in the end it fell through.

"I don't know how long the discussions had been going on, but January is not a nice window in which to leave.

"And it's certainly to our advantage to keep him because we need him."

Berra is happy that Scotland's new manager Gordon Strachan got his reign off to a winning start at Pittodrie.

And he was delighted to help keep a clean sheet against Estonia.

"Things change so quickly, and there is no point on dwelling on the past," he said.

"You have got to look to the future. We have got a good squad and, hopefully, will have a good five or six years together and we can keep going in the right direction."

Looking at Scotland's fading World Cup hopes, he added: "In the end, it's down to us.

"But there have been a few decisions in the last few games which have not gone our way.

"Hopefully one day it will be our opponents who are complaining about something and it is us leaving the field with three points."