Maguire tips Hammond to be axed after Collins begs Celtic chiefs
Celtic will need to axe head of football operations Nicky Hammond to pave the way for a director of football.
That is according to Football Insider columnist Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively after ex-assistant manager John Collins urged the Hoops to make the appointment before hiring a new manager.
He told the BBC: "Every big club in the world has got a director of football in place first. The director of football has got to help choose the manager so the manager's his man and there's a relationship between the manager and the director of football that's so tight."
Hammond is currently head of football operations at Celtic, a slightly different role to that of a director of football.
This site revealed in January that his position was hanging by a thread amid a raft of unexceptional summer signings.
Football Insider also revealed earlier this week that head of recruitment Gary Penrice is set to join the exodus at the end of the season.
Maguire predicts that it would be difficult for a director of football and head of football operations to coexist within the same club.
"I think there would be issues because you'd end up with duplication of responsibilities," he told Football Insider correspondent Adam Williams.
"That doesn't necessarily sound good because you've got two people thinking they should each be making a decision.
"Equally, there will be some areas that they want the other person to take care of.
"So you either expand his role so he becomes director of football or I'm not quite sure what the alternative would be.
"Too many chefs spoil the broth and you can have too many people at one level in an organisation."
Neil Lennon resigned as Celtic manager last Wednesday, with caretaker boss John Kennedy the current favourite to be appointed his successor.
The likes of Eddie Howe, Frank Lampard and Roberto Martinez are also among the names mentioned in connection with the post.