GLASGOW (Reuters) - Former Celtic manager Tommy Burns was widely praised as a great footballer and a special person on Thursday after dying of cancer aged 51.

"Tommy, a true Celtic legend and wonderful man, will be sadly missed by us all," Celtic said on their Web site (www.celticfc.net).

Burns was first treated for skin cancer in 2006 but earlier this year fell ill again and took leave as a first team coach this season to fight the illness.

Burns, who won eight caps for Scotland, played for Celtic from 1974 until 1989, winning six league titles and five Scottish Cups before joining Kilmarnock in 1990 where he became player-manager.

He returned to Celtic as manager in 1994 and won the Scottish Cup a year later before leaving in 1997 to work as Kenny Dalglish's number two at Newcastle United.

He later assisted Scotland manager Berti Vogts, a position he kept under Walter Smith, and returned to Celtic again to take charge of youth development under Martin O'Neill.

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan replaced O'Neill in 2005 and promoted Burns to first team coach.

FAVOURITE SON

Strachan choked back tears at a news conference on Thursday, saying: "The best part of coming to Celtic, above everything else...is calling Tommy Burns my friend.

"People are judged on not just being a footballer -- and there weren't many better than him -- but as a person and he is top of the league when it comes to being a man.

"Typical Tommy, we still managed to have a laugh yesterday, 14 or 15 hours before his death.

"That's the type of man he is. He could change from us kicking lumps out of each other 30 years ago to this... missing somebody as badly as I have ever missed anybody."

Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell described Burns as "one of this club's favourite sons" and told how he "transcended the football divide in this city".

Rangers fans were applauded by their rivals as they left their own club scarves at Celtic Park as a mark of respect for Burns.

Rangers expressed their sympathy and cancelled a planned parade in Glasgow to mark their UEFA Cup final appearance in which they lost 2-0 to Zenit St Petersburg on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, also a Scot, added his tribute, saying: "I met Tommy Burns on a number of occasions.

"Everybody knows he was not just a great man as a footballer but he was a great family man. He was a wonderful person helping charities in Scotland and everybody will be very sad that his long battle against skin cancer has ended in his early death."

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said: "I spoke to him a few months ago and thought he was over it but it came back. It's very sad, he was a great man."

(Editing by Mitch Phillips and Ken Ferris)