CRAIG'S BATTLE TO KEEP STARS; PREMIER LEAGUE.

Byline: By MARK GUIDI

CRAIG LEVEIN watched his team stage an impressive comeback at Celtic Park - then admitted he might not be able to hold on to his star players.

Skipper Lee Wilkie has attracted Rangers' interest and a bid of around pounds 400,000 for the player - who is out of contract in the summer - could land on the Tannadice boardroom table later this month.

But United boss Levein wants to keep Wilkie and has offered him a deal which would make him one of the highest-paid players at the club. He said: "I've offered Lee a new contract and I'll find out this week if he'll sign it or not. I want him to stay, I want all my good players to stay, but I'm not stupid enough to think that they will."

Levein (right) admitted he was disappointed his team didn't end United's 17-year run without a win at Parkhead.

He said: "I said to the players before the game that I felt we'd win because I believe in them. That's four times we've played the Old Firm this season and we've had four draws. That's okay, but not what I'm looking for.

"We were well beaten in the first half and lucky to still be in it. Only a couple of good saves from Lukasz Zaluska and wayward finishing from Celtic kept us in the match.

"The gameplan didn't work in the first half and that was down to a lack of understanding, but we sorted it.

"We could've won it, but we could also have lost it as my two central defenders were charging up the park after we got back to 2-2."