John Barnes expects Rangers to make it a close title race this year - but still tips Celtic to be champions come the end of the season.
The former England international managed Celtic in the 1999-2000 season but was sacked shortly after a shock cup defeat to Inverness.
His fellow Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has Rangers level on points at the top of the table, but Barnes still expects his old club to come out on top.
He said: "It helps with the competition of the league. Everyone said that over time Rangers will get closer to Celtic and that is exactly what has happened.
"I still think Celtic will win the league this year, but I think it will be much closer this season. Scottish football needs stronger teams."
A big part of the Hoops' early season success has been the form of Odsonne Edouard – and Barnes expects him to move on sooner rather than later.
"Edouard’s a good young player, and as much as players might like playing for clubs like Celtic or Rangers, for their career they will want to move on.
"Celtic will be open to sell for £20million to £30m.
"With the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Moussa Dembele staying at Celtic for a short while before moving on to bigger clubs, Edouard be given a similar opportunity next summer."
John Barnes was speaking with BonusCodeBets
