Fans of Celtic Football Club, Rangers' greatest rivals, were coping with a very different type of grief yesterday when they heard that Tommy Burns, one of the club's biggest names, had lost his fight with cancer.

Burns, a long-time Celtic player who later served as the team's manager and coach, died at the age of 51. He was first diagnosed with skin cancer in 2006, and last month it was announced that the cancer had returned.

He died at home after undergoing treatment in Glasgow and France in recent weeks.

As a mark of respect, Rangers cancelled a parade of honour to welcome their team home from the Uefa Cup Final. The Rangers players had planned to take part in a procession from the airport to Ibrox on an open-top bus but the club said such an event would now be “wholly inappropriate”.

Tributes poured in for the former star, who was a former Scotland international and also served as assistant to the Scotland managers Berti Vogts and Walter Smith.

John Reid, the Celtic chairman and former home secretary, said: “Tommy was loved by so many of us. He was a man of true integrity and dignity. As a Celtic player, manager and coach, Tommy served Celtic with distinction and true professionalism.”

Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, was “deeply saddened” to hear of Burns's death. He said: “His death robs Scottish football of one of its most inspirational figures of modern times and one of the nicest people in football. He will go down as one of the all-time great players.”

Alex Salmond, the First Minister, said: “Tommy Burns always answered the call of club and country and will be hugely missed throughout the world of football and beyond.”

Stephen McManus, the Celtic captain, said that the news had left the players feeling numb. He added: “Tommy was as brave a man as you will every meet.”

Burns, who was Glasgow-born, joined Celtic as a teenager before leaving in 1989, aged 32, to join Kilmarnock. He returned to Celtic in 1994 as manager. He underwent surgery to remove two growths from his leg in 2006, and acknowledged that the cancer might return. He said that he hoped his illness would make people more aware of skin cancer.

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