Stiliyan Petrov insists Celtic must provide clarity on the managerial situation straight after the Scottish Cup Final.
And the Bulgarian believes the next manager faces a rebuilding job on the scale of Gordon Strachan’s following Martin O’Neill’s departure 14 years ago.
Petrov says the club must stay a step ahead with Rangers closing the gap under Steven Gerrard and splash the cash to continue domestic dominance and make an impact in Europe.
The 39-year-old says his old team-mate Neil Lennon hasn’t had the credit he deserves for getting them over the line in the title race after the sudden departure of Brendan Rodgers.
Lennon is now looking to finish the season off in style by completing the treble Treble but the Irishman admitted even that won’t guarantee him the job on a permanent basis.
Green Brigade announce special Celtic tifo tribute for Lisbon Lions during Scottish Cup Final
Rafa Benitez and David Moyes continue to be linked with the job with speculation Jose Mourinho has been sounded out and Petrov is convinced the role would be attractive to high-calibre gaffers.
But whatever road the Parkhead board decide to go down he wants them to do it quickly with Champions League qualifiers less than seven weeks away.
Petrov said: “If Lenny finishes with the Treble, and I know he did not do all of the work, I hope he gets the job and is given the support of the club.
“If not then, with Lenny’s CV, I’m sure he will have offers to manage elsewhere. But the club have to make a quick decision.
“That will show they have a clear plan and they know what they are going to do. They can’t afford to waste time. I was part of the team when Strachan came and made changes. The first year was difficult in terms of integrating.
"He kept me at the club then brought Shunsuke Nakamura and Maciej Zurawski and in the second season we were very good because he was given time to put plans in place.
“That’s why it’s important they need to decide who takes over at Celtic and what direction they are taking the club.
“If it’s Lenny he will be losing a few important players from the team. He will need to rebuild and move the club forward and there’s not a lot of time to prepare ahead of Europe.
“A quick and clear decision would give reassurance to the fans and to whoever gets the job that they will get the support and time to rebuild.
Neil Lennon’s 4 words that confirm his Celtic commitment
“I believe it’s an attractive job to someone of Premier League calibre. I’ve read Mourinho talking about the club and the fact he’s considering it shows how big a club Celtic is.
“We should be flattered a manager of that calibre is looking at a club like Celtic.”
Petrov insists comparisons between Lennon and predecessor Rodgers are unfair with the two having very contrasting managerial styles.
He said: “Managers have different ways of working. Lenny is completely different from Rodgers and he’s inherited a squad built by Brendan. If he’s to continue they’ll have to sit and analyse where the club is going.”
● Petrov was speaking at a William Hill media event. William Hill is the proud sponsor of the Scottish Cup.
