At a time when Celtic are trawling the Continent for players who will inevitably cost millions, Henrik Larsson appears the bargain of the decade.

It was the Parkhead club's uncommon good fortune last year that the Swedish forward had asked for a get-out clause in his contract with Feyenoord that would allow him to leave for what now appears the pitiful sum of £600,000.

In addition Wim Jansen, before becoming Celtic coach, had signed Larsson for the Dutch club and after arriving in Glasgow he was soon on the case.

The move to Scotland was not straightforward, as Feyenoord tried a succession of legal moves to secure a fee of £2 million. Larsson won his case and scored 19 goals in 47 appearances during his first season with Celtic.

Whatever their prospects of overcoming Rangers in the first Old Firm match of the season at Ibrox tomorrow evening, Celtic are enhanced by his presence.

Recent performances - most notably in Sweden's 2-1 victory over England and Celtic's win by the same score against Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal last Tuesday - hint at a return to the form which helped Larsson take his club to the league championship last season.

The goal he scored in the UEFA Cup tie against Guimaraes was an example of the spirit, conviction and toughness with which he complements his obvious skill. His diving header recalled the remark by Roger Hynd, the former Motherwell manager, who said that real strikers require the willingness to "put their heads in where the noses get broke".

At 5ft 9in and 11st 2lb, Larsson is not the tallest or heaviest of forwards, but team-mates testify that he is as tough as they come. His strength and his heart allow him to win one-on-ones with taller, bulkier opponents. None of this came about by natural means.

"I realised at an early age that I wasn't going to be the biggest guy in the world," he said, "so I deliberately worked on that area, strengthening my legs and my torso. It's how you have to be to compete properly."

Larsson has been competing successfully with the big boys since he was first noticed by Jansen, then general manager of Feyenoord, in a match for Helsingborgs.

"Wim and the Feyenoord people were there to watch another player, in fact a guy in the Trelleborgs side. But I played very well - I think I scored two or three goals - and they took me to Holland instead."

This was not the beginning of a lasting relationship, as Jansen left the Dutch club after a disagreement with the chairman within two months of Larsson's arrival. But, three years on, Larsson decided to renew the acquaintance at Celtic.

"That was very flattering, that he should remember me and come for me so quickly," said Larsson, the son of a Cape Verde Islands father and a Swedish mother.

"He seemed to know the type of player he wanted and decided I was the one. It's good that things have worked out so well. This is a good place to be. Glasgow is a lovely city, with some magnificent architecture.

"I missed that in Rotterdam, as there is little of it over there. It's not their fault, of course, as the place had to be rebuilt after the war. But it's important to be content. It helps in your work.

"I don't know what others earn at Celtic and it's none of my business," Larsson said. "I just know that I'm happy with my own income and that it is much more than I got in Holland. The big British clubs, especially in England, have become very large payers.

"I can't imagine that players in Serie A in Italy are earning more than, or even as much as, many in England, or with the Old Firm in Scotland. But your first concentration should be on your football.

"If you pay attention to your work and get that right the rewards will flow naturally from it. You make sure you are focused on your game, that you are properly prepared, that you perform. That way you get the results that bring the rewards. It's really quite simple."