Colin Moffat BBC Sport

Maloney and McManus have been key players for Celtic

Celtic manager Gordon Strachan has done some great business on his way to a championship and League Cup double in his first season.

Shunsuke Nakamura and Maciej Zurawski were shrewd acquisitions - influential players that did not break the bank.

And, although injury has reduced Roy Keane's impact, the Irishman's arrival has at least seen a huge leap in shirt sales.

But perhaps the most telling contributions to this successful campaign have come from two home-grown players who had been on the fringes until Strachan's arrival - Shaun Maloney and Stephen McManus.

Strachan has rapidly dismantled the side that won three titles in five years under Martin O'Neill.

Of the starting XI that won the Scottish Cup at the end of last season, only Neil Lennon, Stilian Petrov, John Hartson and Bobo Balde are first picks under Strachan.

Neither Maloney or McManus were included in the squad for O'Neill's farewell match.

Maloney was frustrated to find himself on the sidelines having battled back from a serious knee injury.

He returned to action last February after a year out but only made one start before the summer.

And McManus was tipped to move away from the club after making just four appearances last term.

The 23-year-old was given his chance after Celtic were hammered 5-0 by Artmedia Bratislava in Strachan's disastrous first match in charge.

Balde was dropped for the opening league match at Motherwell and, with new signing Adam Virgo carrying an injury, McManus was promoted.

Celtic shipped four goals at Fir Park but McManus survived and has established a solid partnership with Balde, who was reinstated at the expense of Stanislav Varga.

Used as a left-back on his rare outings under O'Neill, McManus has developed into a powerful, no-nonsense centre-half.

And he has pitched in with some valuable goals along the way.

McManus found the net twice in the final three minutes as Celtic roared back from losing two early goals to win 3-2 at Tynecastle on New Year's Day.

Maloney is a contender for Scotland's Player of the Year

Victory for Hearts that day would have seen Celtic's lead cut to one point - instead it stretched to seven and Strachan's side never looked back.

The defender has scored an impressive eight goals so far, including contributions to recent odd-goal wins over Hibs and Inverness.

Maloney, also 23, has enjoyed excellent scoring form - banging in 15 goals.

Having been reduced to a minor supporting role to top-class strikers Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton and Hartson in his prior seasons at Celtic Park, he is now excelling in a midfield role.

Deadly from free-kicks, Maloney can play on the left or right and has been busy supplying the ammunition for Hartson and Zurawski when not scoring himself.

A leading contender for Player of the Year, Maloney won his first two Scotland caps this season.

Strachan has already snapped up Kenny Miller and Gary Caldwell for next season and more new signings are sure to follow.