GEORGIOS Samaras has confirmed that he has no intention of returning to City when his loan at Celtic is completed next month.

Bought by former boss Stuart Pearce, the 23-year-old striker cost the Blues around £5.5m when they signed him from Dutch side Heerenveen, but he was never able to nail down a place in the side and now acknowledges his future is elsewhere.

Having made just two league and two cup starts under new boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Greek international was shipped out north of the border on loan in January. Although not a regular starter in Gordon Strachan's Celtic side, he has proved a hit with fans scoring four times in eight matches most recently on Saturday when he bagged the winner against Aberdeen.

His eyes are now firmly set on representing his country at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, but he accepts that he is highly unlikely to ever pull on a City shirt again after managing a dozen goals from 36 starts and 29 stints from the bench.

It is still not clear whether or not Celtic intend to buy the striker on whom the Blues are looking to recoup around £3m of their big outlay.

"All I know is I won't be going back to Manchester City, that is for sure. I don't want to go back there," he said.

"I'm glad I'm at Celtic and I am trying to reach the European Championship in the summer.

"That is why I want them to help them win the title but what will happen in the summer, I don't know."

Samaras is now preparing for another Glasgow derby against Rangers and has clearly been impressed with the atmosphere generated in the Old Firm clashes.

"I played a big game within the same city when I was at Manchester - City versus Manchester United, but the Glasgow derby is 10 times bigger and the fans are more fanatical," he said.

Samaras also hinted that his stay with The Bhoys in the Scottish Premier League at Celtic Park may well depend on assurances from Strachan that he will be a first choice forward next season. If he is not, then he could take up offers to move back to Holland or Greece.

"I am happy just now but in the future I want to be the first striker at the club," he concluded. "Staying at Celtic is my choice but only time will tell."

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