The 25-year-old Scotland international yesterday completed his transfer from Aston Villa, who recouped the £1million they paid for him in the final minutes of the transfer window in January 2007, and signed a four-year contract with the club he first joined as a schoolboy.

Maloney departed Celtic amid considerable acrimony, negotiations over a new contract having broken down, and he expects some supporters to be less than enthusiastic about his homecoming in the circumstances.

"I'm a little bit nervous about how the fans will react," admitted Maloney. "I hope they are okay with me, but if not I can understand it. Hopefully I can win them over by getting in the team and showing I am 100 per cent committed. I'll try and turn round the ones who are still disappointed in the way it ended the last time.

"I realise I'm under more pressure to play well this time than I was before, but it never made me think twice about coming back.

"I think I knew at the time I left that I wasn't making the right decision. I felt I had put myself in a position where I didn't have any other option. For the first few months, I struggled with the decision I had made. It was probably the wrong decision but unfortunately I made it.

"I just felt at the time, with the way the contract situation was, I didn't handle it at all well for the four or five months prior to leaving. I'd really let it get to me. I didn't handle the pressure of the negotiations not going very well and the closer it got to the end of my contract, I didn't enjoy that.

"It wasn't nice at the time, but I don't want sympathy. I just made a decision that wasn't right for me and went into something I didn't 100 per cent want to do. At the time, I thought it was what I had to do, but hindsight has shown it wasn't what I wanted."

Maloney's return has been rumoured for some time. It was only recently, however, that Villa manager Martin O'Neill relented and allowed the player to go back to Glasgow.

"The longer it went on, and he knew I was looking to return, he wasn't too happy. But in the last few days, he has been great and wished me all the best. There are no hard feelings."

Maloney now hopes to remain with Celtic for the rest of his career and is keen to repay Strachan for the second chance he has given him.

"I guess I owe him now, because he is the one who has brought me back. He has shown faith in me again and I will be trying as hard as anyone to get into his team. As long as the club want me here now, I'd love to be here."

Strachan, who now feels he is one more signing away from being "totally satisfied" with his summer rebuilding, always felt he had unfinished business with a player who flourished under his management in the 2005-06 season.

"I enjoy working with any player who wants to listen, who dedicates himself to the game," said Strachan. "Shaun has got all of those things. He's got a few positions he can play and he is good in a lot of them. He has great technical ability and he understands that to be a good player, he has to be a good team-mate."

Strachan refuted suggestions there was any resistance to his move to re-sign Maloney from chief executive Peter Lawwell who was involved in the unsuccessful contract talks which preceded his abrupt move to Villa.

"Peter was one of Shaun's biggest supporters," insisted Strachan. "When he became available, I didn't have to think about it and I got fantastic backing. The players, coaching staff, Peter and Dermot Desmond are all delighted to have him back, so I don't see any negativity, unless it's on the phone-ins."

Glenn Loovens may make his debut against Falkirk at Parkhead today as Gary Caldwell struggles to overcome the thigh injury which saw him withdraw from Scotland duty in midweek.