'Overwhelmed' Robbie Keane says he is here to help Celtic win title

Keane refused to say whether his move could become permanent but the 29-year-old did express his satisfaction at being given the opportunity to wear the green and white hoops before he had reached his footballing dotage.

"I didn't want to come here when I was 34, at the end of my career and struggling," said Keane. "I'm coming here at the peak of my career and I can help the club. The reaction I got tonight was overwhelming.

"The Celtic fans have always been good to me when I have played against Celtic a few times in friendly games in the past, but words can't express how I felt when I saw them tonight.

"It is no secret Celtic have been trying to get me for a few years now. Because of different circumstances, it didn't happen. Today there was a chance it could happen and I had to put my thinking cap on. To be fair, I didn't have to think for long. I'm on loan until the end of the season and I haven't thought beyond that. I'm here to play football and it is a move which works well for all parties. It's no secret I always wanted to play for Celtic and I'm here to try and help them win that league title again. I got a lot of phone calls from friends and family in Ireland today and they are thrilled. I think it was inevitable I would play for Celtic one day."

Celtic supporters had started gathering outside the stadium from around 6pm as news of Keane's move began to filter through. When he finally appeared on the front steps to greet them at 11.55pm, the raucous crowd numbered around 2,000. Green flares were lit as Keane emerged with the No 7 shirt he has inherited from Scott McDonald and which was most famously worn by Henrik Larsson.

"Over the years, I have been a Celtic fan and always wanted to come here," Keane told them. "I'm here now and I hope I can be successful in these few short months here."

Keane later made light of the No 7 shirt's significance, although sales of replicas are sure to boost Celtic's commercial income over the next few weeks. "The jersey was sprung on me really," he smiled.

"I know a few good players have worn it down the years and Henrik Larsson obviously sticks out in everyone's mind. But he and I are different players."

Earlier in the day, Braafheid joined from Bayern Munich, where he was unable to command a regular first-team place, with the blessing of his national team coach Bert van Marwijk, as he tries to secure his place in the Netherlands squad for this summer's World Cup finals.

Capped five times for his country, Braafheid was an unused substitute when Van Marwijk's men ended Scotland's World Cup hopes with victory at Hampden last summer. Now he hopes Glasgow will be the place where he re-ignites his career after receiving a glowing testimony of his new workplace from Celtic striker Marc-Antoine Fortune who was a team-mate at his first club Utrecht.

"This has all happened very quickly, since I got the first call at the weekend saying Celtic were interested in me," said Braafheid. "I phoned Marco right away and he told me it is a great club with a nice stadium and some of the best supporters around.

"I also called Bert van Marwijk and explained my situation to him. He also said it would be a good step for me to come to Celtic. A few Dutch players have played here in the past and van Marwijk felt it would be positive for me."

Braafheid is under contract at Bayern until 2013 but is open to the prospect of a permanent move to Celtic if the possibility presents itself. "For now, it is just temporary, but if things go well on both sides, you never know," he said.

Braafheid is not included in the Celtic squad for tonight's SPL fixture against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park, having been given dispensation to return to Munich to finalise some personal affairs, but Kamara could make his debut in the match where victory would cut Rangers' lead at the top of the table to seven points.

The Paris-born Senegal international believes he is being reunited with Mowbray at an optimum period of his career.

"I had the opportunity to go back to France or stay in England but Tony Mowbray is the biggest reason I chose Celtic," said Kamara. "I think I played the best football of my career under him at West Brom."