Celtic striker John Hartson has admitted that he feared this could have been his last season at the Glasgow club.
The joint Scottish Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year, who penned a new deal deal keeping him at the club until May 2007 at the turn of the year felt his injury problems could mean an early end to what has been a fantastic 5 years in Scotland for the Welshman.
Speaking to a tabloid newspaper Hartson said: "Everybody knows how I feel about the club and I made it clear my first option was to stay, I wanted to extend my stay.
"The manager made it clear that he wanted me to put pen to paper and that was very important to me.
"Let's face it, it was the ideal chance for the club to get me out of the door.
"But despite the manager's desire and that of the club to keep me, you are never totally sure how things are going to go."
Following Henrik Larsson's departure to Barcelona it has been the former Arsenal player Hartson banging in the goals this term for the Champions-elect, currently sitting top of the goalscoring charts in the SPL.
With countryman Craig Bellamy at the club, on loan from Newcastle, the two have been potent in attack, as they spearhead the Celtic assault on the title with the partnership surely getting better the more they play.