Strachan insists three years in "the real world" at Motherwell has allowed the Australian striker to progress quicker than he would have been able to at St Mary's.

The Socceroo will move to Parkhead this summer in a deal worth around £700,000, and Strachan has no regrets about axing the then 19-year-old McDonald at the end of the 2002/03 season.

McDonald had a brief stint with MK Dons before joining Motherwell, where his career has taken off.

Strachan insists McDonald's summer transfer makes perfect sense, and is looking forward to working again with the 23-year-old.

The Celtic boss said: "Everything was right about the move and the only thing people might worry about is that he left Southampton while I was the club's manager.

"But if you ask Scott, he will say that it was the best thing that happened to him - he needed to move on.

"During that time at Southampton, we had four strikers in Marian Pahars, who was valued at £8million back then, James Beattie, who was playing for England, Kevin Davies, who's now doing so well for Bolton, and Brett Ormerod.

"It was very hard for him to get a game and if you ask Scott, he will tell you that the best thing that happened to him was moving to Motherwell and joining the real world.

"He's now got a better appreciation of his team-mates and, at 23, he's got plenty of time to learn even more about the game."

Meanwhile Strachan has confirmed he wants defender John Kennedy to play throughout the summer for a foreign club.

The 23-year-old is fit again after almost three years out of action with a career-threatening knee injury.

Kennedy was being tipped for a big future in the Celtic team when he was injured on his Scotland debut, and Strachan is eager for the centre-back to get a run of first-team matches behind him.

That could come at another British club next season, however it may come sooner, with the possibility of a move to the United States or Scandinavia on the cards.

Leagues in Sweden and Norway will shortly get under way, as will the American Major League Soccer season.

"A couple of people have asked about getting him on loan, but John and I have spoken about trying to get summer football for him," Strachan told Celtic View.

"At this point in time, that's what we're trying to do."

Toronto manager Mo Johnston, the former Celtic and Rangers striker, failed in a move for Kennedy this week.

Johnston cited his club's plastic pitch as the cause of Celtic's reluctance to allow Kennedy to join the new additions to MLS.