Yogi: Celts should give Collins the director job
JOHN HUGHES believes Celtic would be making one of their biggest mistakes in years if they overlook John Collins for the director of football role.
The Ross County boss worked as head coach under Collins in that post at Livingston.
Collins has thrown his hat into the ring as Celtic seek a sporting director or director of football to head up a new structure in the wake of Neil Lennon’s exit.
Hughes said: “If Celtic overlook John they’ll be making one of the biggest mistakes they could have made for a number of years. Peter Lawwell knows that.
“Some will think I’m just saying that because I spend a lot of time with John but everything we do is football, football, football. There are a number of very good reasons why he fits the bill.
“He was massive for Celtic in signing Stuart Armstrong and Ryan Christie, in Kieran Tierney’s development and he had a massive influence on Virgil van Dijk.
“When I was at Inverness and Celtic reserves were playing Ross County he told me to look at the leftback and tell him what I thought. It was Tierney and he said, ‘We need to get him in the first team’.
“He was assistant but had his finger on the pulse, he knew what was coming through the ranks. He’s so focused, driven, hardworking and full of energy, that it sometimes puts people off but his attention to detail is second to none.
“He’s got another ace up his sleeve in terms of being fluent in French and that market’s been valuable over the years. He’d be ideal.”