Juninho moves on

Brazilian international Juninho has been released from his contract at Celtic after only seven months at the club.

The former Middlesbrough man is expected to sign for Palmeiras in his native country having failed to impress in Scotland.

A club spokesman told the official website: "Everyone at the club wishes him all the best for the future."

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill added: "It's been disappointing but I said to him I would not keep him a prisoner. He came to me a week or two ago and said he had an opportunity to go to Brazil,

"The league was starting up again and there was a possibility of him going so he asked if he could be freed from his contract and I didn't have a problem with it.

"Naturally I am disappointed. When we took over his contract from Middlesbrough he was finding it difficult.

"They were spending big money trying to improve their team and he was on the periphery of things.

"I thought he would come here and we would be a new lease of life for him and the response from everybody would be great.

"I thought his particular response would be just what we needed."