Neil Lennon must choose his own mentor, says John Collins

• John Collins, centre, is joined by youngsters Callum Wyllie and Craig Sibbald to launch a group for aspiring footballers at Toryglen. Picture: SNS

Four weeks since the end of the SPL season and more than two months after he took interim charge of Celtic following Tony Mowbray's dismissal, Lennon has still to discover whether his bid to secure the job on a permanent basis has been successful.

It has been suggested one reason for the delay is Lennon's resistance to the Celtic board's apparent desire to recruit a more experienced figure to mentor him as part of the new managerial team. When Collins took his first managerial post with Hibs four years ago at a similar age as Lennon, he recruited veteran coach Tommy Craig to assist him and believes any such arrangement at Celtic must be at the behest of the manager.

"It's time to make a decision from Celtic's point of view," said Collins. "Time's ticking by, they need to make a decision on it. The board know Neil, they know his character. I'd be delighted for him if he got the job and I feel he has the credentials to be a very good manager.

"Neil has to decide who his backroom team are going to be, he has to be in control of that situation. Otherwise you are asking for trouble if the club appoints someone above his head. If it's forced upon him, then there could be a conflict.

"It's a different ball game if he (the manager] appoints an older man to work above him. But for me the logical thing is that he appoints his staff because he has to trust them and work with them to take the club forward.

"When I joined Hibs, I hadn't had any major experience on the training pitch. Tommy Craig was a master coach with 30 years experience and someone I trusted and respected. That's why I brought him in.

"I'm sure that will be on Neil's mind but everyone's different. It would make a whole lot of sense for it to be someone he knows, trusts and respects. That's part of any management team."

Collins has been out of management since leaving Belgian club Charleroi a year ago after a brief five-month tenure. He was offered a chance to return to Belgium recently by Kortrijk, but turned it down as he wishes to remain in Scotland at the moment for the benefit of his children's education.

He is not, however, interested in either of the SPL vacancies at Kilmarnock and St Mirren. "They are both nice little clubs, but not for me," said Collins. "Never say never, but in the short term I don't see myself managing in Scotland again. I was offered the job in Belgium, but it wasn't the right job for me because of the stage my kids are at in school here in Scotland.

"I'm not actively looking for another job in management or coaching right now but if the right opportunity comes along in the future, then you never know."