Stephen Craigan has warned leading Celtic manager candidate Eddie Howe he cannot afford to wait a moment longer to begin his Parkhead rebuild.
The 43-year-old remains the hot favourite to be the man to carry the fight to Rangers next season after Steven Gerrard's side became the earliest Premiership champions in history.
Incoming chief executive Dominic McKay will join the club next Friday as he looks to oversee a period of significant change in Glasgow's east end.
And Craigan has sent a firm plea to Howe that he should not waste a golden opportunity to run the rule over the current Celtic squad in person ahead of a summer of significant change.
The former Mothewell man said any awkwardness caused by an early arrival is worth it in the long run with pivotal Champions League qualifiers to plan for.
Speaking to GO Radio, he said: "If I was Eddie Howe I would want to get in ASAP.
"I would want to get in among the squad, in among the players because you have to judge them on personality, on input.
"If players are going to be leaving the football club, you want to have a look at them, and think 'I actually quite like him, I like his attributes, let's keep him for another year, let's give him an extended contract because I want him in my squad.'
"You don't get that vibe with someone if you haven't watched them in training, or that vibe when you a have a conversation with them.
"You can't make a decision on that player in June because you have never spoken to them. You've watched videos and clips of them but you learn about a player when you see them about the training ground.
"How they train, how they act, how they treat other people, how they get on with you and do they fit into your philosophy of what you want to do?
"It's the bigger picture, Eddie Howe will want to be involved ASAP, it may might be stepping on John Kennedy's toes a little bit but if Celtic believe he is the man that is going to take them forward and try and regain the title from Rangers, he has to be in to get a feel for what is going on around the place.
"And make decision that will benefit him in the long, so I think as soon as possible for Eddie Howe."
