Hartson set to sign ?

[Beefy]

Celtic striker John Hartson has told team-mates at Parkhead that he has agreed personal terms to join West Bromwich Albion. (The Guardian)

[Beefy]

The Baggies are set to sign John Hartson after the Welsh hitman said goodbye to his Celtic team-mates. (Daily Mirror)

[Ref]

New West Brom striker John Hartson has revealed his surprise at being allowed to leave Celtic.

Hartson has signed a two-year contract at The Hawthorns after Albion paid £500,000 for the Welshman who had a year left on his contract at Parkhead.

But the 31-year-old revealed he had received verbal agreements he would be spending the 2006-07 campaign with the Hoops.

"It was Celtic's decision to listen to offers for me from other clubs," said Hartson. "I wasn't in Gordon Strachan's plans for the new season and that's fine.

"Having heard in the summer they would accept a bid for me, it did take a couple of days for it to sink in that I might actually be leaving.

"I had shook hands with several people at the club about me staying until the end of my contract.

"But things change in football - I know that - and I haven't got a bad word to say about Celtic or their fans.

"They paid me a lot of money, gave me good contracts and I left as a member of a championship side, not under a cloud.

"But coming to West Brom has not been about money - I could have made more staying a year at Celtic and then leaving on a Bosman.

"I'm really looking forward to the challenge of getting this club back in the Premiership."

And Hartson also confirmed he could be tempted to reconsider his decision to retire from international football with Wales with whom he won 49 caps and scored 14 goals.

Hartson's decision to call time on his international career came against the backdrop of his marriage break-up, but he is now reconsidering his football options.

He said: "Playing for Wales meant everything to me.

"I won nearly 50 caps in 10 years and every time I played it was special for me.

"It was a very hard decision for me to retire from international football but I wanted to spend more time with my kids.

"Now, I think that if I was asked to come back then I would have to give it serious consideration.

"Beyond that I haven't really given it much thought and there hasn't been any contact from John Toshack."

Meanwhile Albion chairman Jeremy Peace, who this week rejected Wigan's triple bid for Curtis Davies, Zoltan Gera and Nathan Ellington, declared the club's relegation from the Premiership would not mean enforced sale of the club's prize assets.

Peace said: "We want to return to the Premiership as soon as possible and any predators eyeing our top players are wasting their time.

"And John Hartson has been signed to strengthen our squad for the new season.

"We said as soon as we were relegated we would be looking to strengthen our squad , not take it apart."