Charlie Nicholas has urged Celtic to appoint Xavi or Xabi Alonso if they are to part ways with Neil Lennon.

The Hoops board has recently given Lennon a vote of confidence, but there is increased speculation regarding Lennon's future after his recent irate press conference.

Former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe is currently the bookies favourite to take over at Parkhead. But former Hoops man Nicholas has urged his former team to go for a global superstar like Xavi or Alonso.

Writing in the Daily Express, Nicholas said: "The rumblings for a while have been that Eddie Howe will be the next Celtic manager and that has been ramped up in recent days.

"The former Bournemouth boss is now odds-on favourite in the betting and very rarely do the bookies get it wrong.

"However, I would prefer to see Parkhead chiefs push the boundaries and appoint someone like Xavi or Xabi Alonso as their new head coach.

"A global figure who is young, ambitious and keen to make their name in management. Someone who would make people sit up and take notice, while also rebuilding the team's standing in Europe.

"I can understand why Howe has become a popular choice with Celtic fans, though.

"When I was at Sky I enjoyed covering Bournemouth's games because his team was good to watch.

"People might draw comparisons between Howe and Brendan Rodgers, but you have to remember that Celtic were a still dominant force when Rodgers took charge in 2016. OK, they weren't winning all the domestic cups but they were always ahead in the league.

"A lot of the Celtic players that Rodgers improved in his time there have dwindled away."

He continued: "Come the summer, I don't think Odsonne Edouard will be here, Olivier Ntcham will go too and loan trio Moi Elyounoussi, Diego Laxalt and Shane Duffy will return to their parent clubs.

"Howe, or whoever has the reins, will need to rebuild.

"I am not convinced Lennon has ever been completely in control of transfers at Celtic.

"The new manager must be, though, and that is where the start of the rebuild has to happen.

"Howe did a fabulous job at Bournemouth, taking them from League One to the Premier League - and a ninth-placed finish in 2017 - before leaving last August.

"But there is still that question mark because the Cherries aren't a big club like Celtic, who are expected to win every game they play.

"Nevertheless, you have to applaud the job Howe did at Bournemouth because he liked to play good, attacking football.

"The rebuild at Celtic is going to be a slow one and the fans will need to show a bit of patience with the next manager."