Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has expressed his delight at being given the chance to run out in front of the Celtic support again.

The Englishman will take part in the Jock Stein 30th Anniversary Charity Match, taking place at Dunfermline’s East End Park, this Sunday.

He told the club’s website: “It’s a good thing to see a few of the boys again and pull on the jersey and it’s obviously a big event.

“It’s about respecting Jock Stein and of course, a lot of people will have made a lot of effort to get there and I’m sure it will be worthwhile.

“It’s crucially important to remember Jock Stein. Celtic were the first British team to win the European Cup and that’s an achievement in itself.

“When I was at the club, John Clark was still around and you were in touch with guys like Billy McNeill, Bobby Lennox, Stevie Chalmers and they are great guys.

“Knowing them – and knowing what they achieved for the club – and mixing with them was an honour for all the players in the period that I played in.”

Sutton enjoyed a six-year spell at Celtic after being signed by Martin O’Neill in 2000, forming deadly partnerships with both Henrik Larsson and John Hartson and playing a crucial role in the run to the 2003 UEFA Cup Final.

He says that his days at Parkhead were the happiest of his career, but admitted that his trademark killer instinct has dulled somewhat over the years as he tried to play down Hoops fans’ expectations ahead of Sunday’s run-out.

“I played in a game the other month with Stiliyan Petrov and my brain was working but the signal to my feet just wasn’t on the same wavelength,” he laughed.

“I don’t know where I’ll play but I suspect – or I can pretty much guarantee – I won’t be at the level I was a few years ago!

“If I could go back and relive any of the years from my career, it would be from my Celtic days and I was lucky enough to play in a good team with a lot of top players.

“Obviously, the European nights and the games against Rangers would be personal highlights but also, what the club meant to the players at that time, and what the club meant to me personally and to my family. They are times I will never forget.”