John Hughes admits he was powerless to stop Anthony Stokes from joining Celtic Football Club.

The former Arsenal and Sunderland frontman hit 23 goals for Hibernian last season, and this attracted interest in his signature from the Bhoys.

A £1.2million deal was completed on deadline day, and Easter Road boss Hughes claims it would have denied the 22-year-old a lifelong dream had be tried to block the move.

"Anthony Stokes expressed a real desire to sign for Celtic,” he told the Daily Record. "He is a Dublin-born Irish boy who supported the club all of his life. He told me that is where his heart lay.”

Get all the latest news on your club. Visit 360 Football, the best football news aggregator on the web!