Eddie Howe should wait until the summer to take charge of Celtic, according to former Hoops defender Steven Pressley.

Former Bournemouth boss Howe has held talks with Celtic and has emerged as the front-runner for the vacant post.

Celtic are going through a major transition on and off the pitch and are tipped to announce that incoming chief executive Dominic McKay's arrival at the club is being brought forward.

The club are also looking for a director of football following the departure of Nick Hammond, who was their head of football operations, while a number of players are expected to depart in the summer.

John Kennedy has been in caretaker charge for four games, winning twice and drawing twice, and the club still have the Scottish Cup to play for after losing the title to Rangers.

But the fourth-round draw paired them with Rangers at Ibrox on April 17 and any new manager could find himself facing a baptism of fire.

Regardless of the fixture list, Pressley believes a new manager would be better off coming in at the end of the season.

The former Scotland international told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound: "When you go into Celtic, make no mistake, you are going to be judged from day one, and how big an impact can you make on this current squad in that short period of time?

"At least if he comes in during the summer he gets the chance to work with the players he is going to be working with moving forward, he is able to start building the culture, the style of play, all the aspects of his management during a period of relatively unpressured games.

"And then he starts the season in a much better place. So that for me is the correct process. I think that makes perfect sense."

The former Falkirk, Coventry, Fleetwood and Carlisle boss added: "I think as well it depends on what you put your emphasis on. Me as a manager, I put a huge emphasis on the fitness of my team in order to pressurise the game.

"If I go into a club mid-season, as I did with a number of clubs, it's hard to make that stamp on your team, to change it as quickly as you would like. But immediately you are being judged. Immediately.

"Eddie Howe will be judged from day one."