Chris Sutton says Celtic "shouldn't go anywhere near" Joe Hart in their search for a new 'keeper.
The Parkhead hero believes Fraser Forster should be the top priority, but if that move doesn't happen then Neil Lennon should be looking at options other than ex England number-one Hart.
Forster's return to Celtic appeared to be dead this week with a loan seemingly off the table.
And looking at the potential alternatives, Sutton said in his Daily Record column: "I’ll tell you one place they shouldn’t go anywhere near and that’s Joe Hart.
"He was a top-class goalkeeper at his peak, but he’s too much of a gamble having had a bad spell in his career.
"If you want my opinion, he won’t be anywhere near Celtic Park."
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Sutton reckons a tried-and-tested, safe pair of hands might be the best bet with Celtic not wanting to risk their quest for an historic ten-in-a-row on an unknown quantity between the sticks.
He said: "This is a crucial decision for the club. Missing out on Forster would leave a gaping hole and Lennon is going to want a proper No.1 who can command and also provide some calm during a tense season.
"Scott Bain is there just now but if Lennon thought he was a first choice, he wouldn’t have signed Forster last summer, so it’s not going to be him.
"Celtic will have irons in the fire. They’ll be looking across the continent and trying to source the best available. But goalkeeper is such a specialist position which requires a certain type and this is not a time for gambles.
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"This is a time for experience and solidity. For someone who knows the place.
"Sure, you could dig out a top foreign goalkeeper like an Artur Boruc and strike gold. Find a potential superstar or a current top-class operator who steps right into the position with ease.
"However, go into unknown territory and you could also land a Magnus Hedman or a Dimitri Kharine and see 10 In A Row go down the plughole.
"I don’t know if Lennon rates David Marshall or thinks he’s good enough to be his out-and-out No.1, but he’s the one that I would be looking at just now in terms of a safe bet.
"Is he as good as Forster? No. But he does have an awful lot going for him in terms of Celtic’s situation right now.
"By that I mean he knows the environment, he knows the pressures of playing for the club. He was doing it as a teenager in the team I played in alongside the likes of Henrik Larsson and Lennon himself."
