Celtic manager Gordon Strachan savoured his third Scottish Premier League title in a row on Thursday night, describing it as one of the highlights of his life.

"This has been one of the most fantastic occasions of my life with a bunch of guys that believed in me and I believed in them," Strachan said after Celtic clinched the title with a 1-0 win away to Dundee Utd.

"We had a challenge and we accepted it and we got on with it without complaining and I really do believe that this is one of the most satisfying nights of my life," he told BBC radio.

"Not (just) for me really, but for the players who have come under a lot of pressure during the season."

The victory left Celtic three points clear of arch-rivals Rangers, who lost 2-0 at Aberdeen on the closing night of the Scottish championship.

Striker Scott McDonald dedicated the title triumph to the team's late first team coach and former manager Tommy Burns, who died last week of cancer at the age of 51.

"We loved him," he told BBC radio, "so did everyone. We did this for you Tommy."

"We had to win it for him (Burns) and we did," Dutch match-winner Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink told Setanta TV. "Of course, it is a nice feeling (to score the goal) in a game like this."

Celtic captain Stephen McManus, looking back to when Celtic were seven points adrift of Rangers who also held a game in hand, told Setanta TV: "Six or seven weeks ago people were writing us off.

"So it has been great to prove everybody wrong. There is nothing better in football than proving people wrong. It is just brilliant. It has been an emotional day for us."