HOLDERS UNITED DRAWN WITH CELTIC

Fergie's United will face Celtic again.

Holders Manchester United will face Celtic in the Champions League group stages following the draw in Monaco.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side, who beat Premier League rivals Chelsea on penalties in the final in Moscow in May, were also joined by Spanish side Villarreal and Danish club Aalborg in Group E.

The trip to Spain to play Villarreal will bring back bad memories for England striker Wayne Rooney who was sent off playing against the same club in September 2005.

Rooney was dismissed after reacting to a booking by sarcastically applauding Kim Milton Nielsen's decision right under the referee's nose.

Celtic met United competitively for the first time in 2006-07, avenging a 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford with a 1-0 victory at Parkhead.

United boss Ferguson declared himself satisfied with the draw.

"We've had Villarreal and Celtic before, but Aalborg is a new one," he told United's official website.

"The bonus for us is there's not much travelling to do. We're satisfied with the group and we hope to get the 10 points to see us qualify.

"It's always nice to go to my home city and being drawn against Celtic adds a bit of spice to the group."

United chief executive David Gill revealed the Old Trafford outfit were looking forward to defending the crown.

"Overall we are pretty pleased with it (the draw)," said Gill.

"As defending champions we're going to look forward to it."

Gill looked forward to the two ties with Celtic.

"It's a great event, their passionate fans and our passionate fans at Old Trafford and up at Celtic Park," Gill told Sky Sports News.

"I'm sure the players and fans are looking forward to those fixtures.

"You get a tingle in your spine when you see the flashbacks to Moscow. Everyone at the club is very motivated."