Celtic's Champions League hero Kris Commons wants a last 16 draw with boy-hood club Manchester United.

The Hoops reached the knock-out phase of Europe's premier club competition for just the third time in their history after defeating Spartak Moscow on Wednesday virtue of Commons' 82nd minute penalty.

And the former Derby County midfielder has his heart set on a meeting with three-time European Champions United in the knock-out phase.

Kris Commons
Commons scored the winning penalty to send Celtic through.

"There's a few really, really top sides that would take anyone's fancy but being a boy from down south I'd like to play Man U," Commons admitted.

"I've played them before a couple of times, I was a Man United fan as a kid so for the chance to play against that club and play in that stadium again would be a dream come true.

"Whoever we get we'll have plenty of DVDs and plenty of time to send people to watch games and find out what that team will be doing but it'll be interesting come the 20<sup>th, we'll probably be sat upstairs around the TV hoping for a good draw."

The SPL champions finished behind Barcelona in qualifying for the last-16, ahead of Spartak and Benfica, the latter of which could only draw at the Nou Camp on matchday six.

Having picked up four points from their opening two groups games, Commons admits the turning point came in the defeat to Barcelona, where Jordi Alba's late goal salvaged a win for the La Liga side, but the performance gave Celtic reason to believe they could progress from the group.

"The turning point was the game in the Nou Camp, the fact we could defend so resiliently for 94 minutes; if we'd have done that for four and half we would have got the point that we thought we deserved, I think that kind of turned a few people's heads," Commons said.

"And the Barcelona win at home, that put us in a great position to qualify.

"On our day I think we can beat anyone, we've proved that not only in the SPL and the cup but on the European stage that we can beat top, top sides on our day.

"I don't think anyone will fancy coming to Celtic Park and playing us with our fans and the way we approach games and how we set up to win games I don't think anyone will fancy playing us so it' going to be a tough draw whoever it is."

Celtic could face Paris Saint Germain, Schalke 04, Malaga, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Bayern Munich or United in the last 16 as they aim to reach the quarter final for the first time in the Champions League era.

Their run has evoked memories of the Celtic side who became the first British winners of the European Cup in 1967 under legendry manager Jock Stein after beating Inter Milan in Lisbon.

Manchester United FC