Martin O’Neill has compared Odsonne Edouard’s impact at Celtic to that of Hoops legend Henrik Larsson.
And the former Celtic boss insists his old side holding onto Edouard will be vital in their bid to win a 10th successive title next season.
The 22-year-old has been linked with moves to the likes of Arsenal and Leicester but is in talks with a new deal at Celtic.
He is out of contract in 2022 but Neil Lennon is desperate to hold onto the Frenchman and ex-Republic of Ireland manager O’Neill hopes it happens.
When asked on the BBC Scotland podcast if Edouard was as important as Larsson was, O'Neill replied: "Of course, yes.
"In my five years there we didn't have Henrik for the final year and you're always trying to make do.
"It's very important to hold on to your best players, because these are the ones that will win matches for you. They will turn the tide for you if games are even or if you're losing with 20 minutes to go.
"You know when the likes of Larsson is still on the field you still have a chance of winning that game. And that is exactly now the situation Neil finds himself in."
Lennon has been a success during his time at the club over both spells as a manager.
The Irishman insists, though, that he needs European success to be compared to the likes of O’Neill and Jock Stein.
But his old gaffer insists winning 10 would guarantee him iconic status, although he reckons he’s already a legend.
He added: "Neil has done both; he's done it as a player and as a manager. He deserves to take his place among the legends of Celtic.
"To come back after Brendan (Rodgers) went to Leicester, he was coming into a totally different set-up, a different philosophy, and he had to win those games from day one.
"He's done that exceptionally well. Now he's set his sights on European football. Of course that's very important, but if he clinches 10 in a row - which he has a good chance of doing - that would be fantastic.
"He's very much an iconic figure at Celtic Park and that might not be sufficient for Neil, but the fans would be absolutely ecstatic about it."
