Juninho quits Celtic for Palmeiras
 |  Juninho only scored once in 22 appearances for Celtic |
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SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Brazilian midfielder Juninho has left Scottish club Celtic after a disappointing seven-month spell and returned to his native country to sign for four-time national champions Palmeiras.
Juninho, who helped Brazil to win the 2002 World Cup,had been negotiating with Palmeiras for about a month.
Club spokesman Primo Ribeiro said Palmeiras had signed the 32-year-old Juninho until July 2006.
Local media reports said he would receive a monthly salary of about $45,000.
Juninho scored once in 22 appearances for Celtic this season after joining the club in July.
"It has been disappointing, but I told him that I wouldn't keep him prisoner either," Celtic manager Martin O'Neill said.
Juninho's debut with Palmeiras will be at the start of the new Brazilian championships, on April 23.
"I hope I'll be very helpful," Juninho told the sports daily Lance. "Every player knows it's a big responsibility to wear the Palmeiras jersey."
The midfielder has had two playing spells in England with Middlesbrough, scoring 29 times in 125 appearances.
He also played in Spain for Atletico Madrid, where he scored 14 times in 55 matches, but suffered a broken leg.
In Brazil, he played for Vasco, Sao Paulo and Flamengo.
Palmeiras lead Group 4 of the Copa Libertadores, South America's most important club competition, and is 10th in the prestigious Sao Paulo state championship.
