Celtic manager Gordon Strachan has no idea how his players will react to their 13-point lead at the top of the Bank of Scotland Premier League - because he has never been in such a situation.

The former Manchester United, Aberdeen and Leeds star won many trophies through his playing career but never had the experience of being miles ahead of every other club.

Only second-placed Hearts can realistically catch the champions-elect but Strachan is refusing to celebrate the title prematurely in his first season at Parkhead.

He said: 'Personally I've never held a lead like this. Not as a manager, not as a player.

'I really couldn't tell you how I would have reacted to it as a player, never mind how the lads here will react.

'As a manager I just need to go and do what I do every day and hope that's enough.'

Only Strachan's veteran campaigners have experienced commanding leads in the SPL before.

Some bookmakers are paying out on Celtic after their victory over Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday but Bobo Balde insists the race for the championship is far from finished.

'It's not over,' said the defender. 'We still have to play Hearts twice and we'll have another game against Rangers so we will have a lot of difficult games ahead of us.

'If you say it's over you're saying you're going to beat these teams. We know from experience that it is going to be difficult.'

Balde told the Celtic View: 'Sometimes you can try to look too far ahead and that can cause problems so you have to take it game by game.

'It is good to be on top and to enjoy this lead over Hearts but it is now up to us to try to maintain that until the end of the season.'