IF it is true that the best things come to those who wait then Paul Hartley and Celtic should feel confident they are about to embark on a mutually rewarding relationship.

The club and player have long admired one another from a distance, and the chance for both parties to finally unite seems a natural progression.

At 30, Hartley is a couple of years older than when Martin O'Neill first tried to take him to Parkhead, but still has the potential to play at the top level for at least another three years.

With Neil Lennon approaching the twilight years of his career, it will be Hartley who takes on the current captain's mantle in the middle of the park and will also now, doubtless, inherit the pantomime villain role the Northern Irishman occupies in the eyes of the Ibrox support.

Having lost out on Hibs pair Kevin Thomson and Scott Brown, Celtic will be delighted to have beaten Walter Smith's Rangers to secure Hartley's signature - but there is more to the deal than oneupmanship.

The player will give Gordon Strachan's side a fresh spark in midfield, where Shunsuke Nakamura has been charged with supplying the bulk of the creativity this season and Hartley's arrival might also put Thomas Gravesen under a little pressure to step up his game.

The Danish midfielder hasn't quite lived up to expectations since his arrival from Real Madrid last summer, and Hartley's presence will offer genuine competition in midfield.

Quite where Strachan views Hartley as fitting in will be interesting, given Celtic are well equipped in the middle of the park. The ex-Hearts man has been a slow burner, and Queen's Park manager Billy Stark, credited with converting the player from a winger to scoring midfielder, believes that Hartley can be a clever signing for Celtic.

Stark also joined the Hoops when he was 30 after impressing at Aberdeen, and expects the player he worked with at St Johnstone to flourish.

"I think people are as fed up as me by now about converting Paul to central midfield, but there are similarities in the way we ended up at Celtic," he said.

"Paul has extensive Premierleague experience and it was a no-brainer. It is obviously a bonus for Celtic after the disappointment of losing Maloney and Thompson and, while he is ineligible for the Champions League, he can play in the Scottish Cup.

"I would not say he was a late developer, which would be unfair because he was always a good footballer. He is the kind of player who established a niche position later in his career.

"Like me, he moved to a big club in his mid-20s. Aberdeen had just won the European Cup-Winners' Cup when I joined, so were expected to win things. Hearts were the third force when Paul signed, but the expectations rose, albeit briefly, when Vladimir Romanov took over, and Paul has experienced the positives and negatives of that regime.

"He deserved his opportunity and has shown with the national team he can play at the highest level," Stark added. "At 30, while you can never consider yourself an automatic choice - you are there because you are needed and wanted.

"I'm sure Paul will fit in."

While Strachan has repeatedly pointed out that he has an immediate signing plan as well as a long-term vision for the club, there is no doubt that Hartley will be unleashed into action immediately.

The player cannot feature against AC Milan in the Champions' League tie later this month, but the latter weeks of the campaign will be his opportunity to showcase his talents and stake his claim for a regular place next season.

"Paul's situation is different from Derek Riordan, who was signed during the summer with the future in mind," said Stark.

"In my time, Celtic lost a lot of experienced players. I wasn't signed for the future and the same can be said about Paul.

"Thomas Gravesen has a great pedigree and Celtic pushed the boat out to get him.

"His goalscoring record is impressive but the general perception among fans and the media is that he has not set the heather alight.

"Paul is a terrific player who will do very well for Gordon Strachan. It's a shrewd move." TIMESFILE: PAUL HARTLEY

1976: Born October 19 in Glasgow.

1993: Joins Mill United Boys' Club.

1994: Signs for Hamilton Accies.

1996: £400k move to Millwall.

1997: Returns to Scotland after just one season in England to join Raith Rovers for £150k.

1998: Signs for Hibernian two days before Christmas in £225,000 deal.

2000: Sandy Clark signs him for St Johnstone for £200k.

2002: Saints are relegated from Premier League.

2003: Moves to Craig Levein's Hearts on a free transfer.

2004: January - Celtic's £200k offer is rejected. The lifelong Hoops fan hands in transfer request in a bid to help the move but that is also turned down. Celtic give up.

March - Makes Scotland debut in World Cup qualifier against Italy at the San Siro in Milan.

August - Signs extended contract with Hearts to keep him at club until 2008.

2006: April - Scores a hat-trick as Hearts beat Hibernian 4-0 in the Scottish Cup semi-finals.

May - Named Bank of Scotland player of the season. Helps Hearts win the Scottish Cup Final against Gretna but is sent off. Invites new contract talks with Hearts by stating: "I definitely want to finish my career here."

October 27 - Sits alongside Steven Pressley in a show of support as the Hearts captain reveals "significant unrest" at Tynecastle.

2007: January 27 - Left out of the Hearts team for game at Rangers for "football reasons".

January 31 - Signs for Celtic on a two-and-a-half-year deal.