Joey Barton reckons if Celtic appoint Eddie Howe then it would be a genuine statement of intent to get them back on top of Scottish football again.
The former Bournemouth manager is the standout candidate that the Hoops are considering to become their new boss.
Barton reckons that Howe would have held out for a top Premier League job although Record Sport revealed this afternoon he has already turned down two, including Sheffield United, and is currently in advanced talks with the Parkhead club.
The former Rangers midfielder knows the appointment of Howe would be the perfect way for Celtic to respond after Steven Gerrard’s Rangers stopped their Premiership dominance.
Barton said: “Eddie is a top coach. The job he did at Bournemouth stands up here with anyone in recent memory.
“I thought Celtic had to make a big statement off the back of what Steven Gerrard and Rangers have done this season.
“Usually, these big clubs respond and pull out all the stops to make themselves back into the winning team in that country.
“I thought Eddie would be waiting for a bigger English Premier League job.
“Again, it would show Celtic’s ambition and pull as a football club.”
Barton believes a Gerrard vs Howe battle next season could make Scottish football box office again.
The Bristol Rovers boss admitted: “Celtic if they get Eddie they will get the chance to rebuild under a superb young coach.
“It would be interesting the Old Firm with Rangers back at it.
“It would put Scottish football back in the right conversations for me.
“There is nothing worse than Celtic winning every league as they did before Rangers got back to the top tier.
“It was a bit of a non-entity as a football division.
“Since Rangers have got back, it has started to be taken more and more seriously.
“The fact if you had Steven Gerrard and Eddie Howe managing the two top clubs then it shows better days are ahead for Scottish football.”
The likes of Roy Keane and Chris Wilder have also been linked with the Celtic job and Barton knows it will attract interest because of their rich history.
He said: “I was watching The Three Kings the other day, Bill Shankly, Sir Matt Busby and Jock Stein, and there were some historic moments for all three clubs.
“Celtic were the first British side to win the European Cup and there are not many or our big clubs who have done that and some enormous clubs in European football haven’t done that.”
