John Hartson insists Scott Brown will already have his next move planned out as he leaves Aberdeen after just one year.
But he insists an instant return to Celtic can't be ruled out as he looks to take the next step in his coaching career.
Brown joined Aberdeen in the summer as he took up a player-coach role under his former teammate Stephen Glass.
But Glass was dismissed in February and replaced with Jim Goodwin after a dreadful first half of the season.
It's left Brown in limbo and Record Sport exclusively revealed on Tuesday that he would call time on his career at Pittodrie.
And Parkhead legend Hartson believes he will already have his next move in the pipeline.
He said on Go Radio: "Obviously I speak to Scott regularly but I wouldn't call him on a day like today. I respect his privacy.
"He might have something lined up. He might just want a rest, he might want a break.
"Knowing Scott that probably won't be the case. He'll want to be active and he might have several offers already.
"It's a shock to me because I know he was really determined to go up to Aberdeen and not only play a role under Stephen Glass, he wanted to go and do a little bit of coaching.
"He was going to go and do his badges, and get involved in that side of the game. That's not worked out for him.
"Whether or not he showed a bit of loyalty and said 'hold on, it was Stephen who brought me here,' but I believe he had another 16 months to go on his contract.
"I'm not sure what he does from now but he's had an incredible career."
Many fans have called for an immediate return to Celtic Park and Hartson reckons "stranger things have happened."
But he says a return should only be offered if Ange Postecoglou explicitly wants it.
Hartson added: "Could he go back to Celtic? I think it would be down to the manager.
"It would just be to coach, but that decision has to ultimately be decided by Ange Postecoglou, with everything that's happening at Celtic right now.
"They're in the crest of a wave, top of the league, but stranger things have happened."
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