Tony Watt insists Martin O'Neill is the ideal candidate for Celtic this summer, and says having assistants Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham alongside him is key.
O'Neill has agreed a one-year deal, with the option of another 12 months, to remain in situ as the club's permanent manager.
And Watt, who made 34 appearances in three years on the books at Parkhead, praised the appointment.
“I think the fact that he’s doing the year speaks a lot about his drive and motivation,” Watt said on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard.
“I think he’s probably the right candidate at the moment; I think having [Shaun] Maloney and Mark Fotheringham is big.
“Maloney’s probably a Celtic legend, or if not, a big figure in the recent past.
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“Fotheringham, by all accounts — you hear a lot through the grapevine in football — is a very, very good coach, the boys love him.
“I think, regardless, he should’ve been kept on as a coach somewhere along the line, I think Maloney would’ve been up in the boardroom, sporting director level.
“So I think Martin O’Neill’s the right choice at the moment, I think the stability’s a good thing at the moment after what happened with Nancy. I keep going back to it.
“But now, what I would like to see is Martin O’Neill getting free reign on the signings. Go and sign players who will make Celtic better.
“Martin O’Neill, knows a player or two, given his recent past. His history at Celtic, but his history all over.
“The only thing I will repeat: it doesn’t shine well, the last ten days, on the board and Dermot Desmond.
“Because it’s [taken] for fans to protest for Robbie Keane for him not to get the job. Let’s be honest, he was getting the job.
“I think the fans protesting, we [saw] it last night, it stopped him getting the job, and the backup — which is quite disrespectful to Martin O’Neill, who should’ve been given the job if he wanted it — was Martin O’Neill.”
