Sir Alex Ferguson, Lisbon Lion Tommy Gemmell and former Celtic captain Paul Lambert were among those to offer tributes - along with UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond - to the man who served Celtic as a player for 15 years, then returned to the club as manager and coach.

Manchester United manager Ferguson said: "It's very sad. He was a real good man."

Burns was first diagnosed with skin cancer in 2006. Although he received treatment, the disease returned in March this year.

Former Celtic team-mate Davie Provan said Burns "embodied everything good about the club", and Lisbon Lion Tommy Gemmell added: "I don't think you will find anyone on this earth who will say a bad word about him."

Burns joined Celtic as a teenager in 1973 and went on to play 352 league games for the club, scoring 52 goals, and winning eight Scotland caps.

Former Celtic striker Frank McGarvey, a team-mate of Burns from 1980 to 1985, said: "He was one of Celtic's greatest servants.

"He was one of the good guys, a winner, with a great sense of humour and he will be badly missed by everyone. A good friend has been taken away."

In 1989, Burns moved to Kilmarnock and was given his first job in management there three years later.

The current Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies said: "I'm devastated. I knew he'd had a recurrence but I was still shocked when I heard the news. Tommy did a terrific job at Kilmarnock as player and manager. He is held in very high esteem. He was a true gentleman. He always got his teams to play football in the right way."