Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has claimed that Mark Lawwell is already having a positive impact on Celtic's transfer plans.
The Lowdown: Lawwell takes on role
The Hoops are riding high at the moment, standing on the cusp of a Scottish Premiership title triumph with three games remaining this month.
Behind the scenes, the club are also thriving, with Lawwell taking over as the new head of first-team recruitment and scouting earlier this week.
He will work alongside Ange Postecoglou with regards to new signings moving forward, as Celtic look to go up another gear next season.
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The Latest: McLeish hails impact
Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish suggested that Lawwell's influence is already shining through after such a short space of time:
"Now that you that transaction going through, of Mark joining the backroom staff, it makes me think that they’ve had dialogue even since Postecoglou’s come to Celtic.
"Regardless of Postecoglou’s knowledge about players abroad and that part of the world, who he’s brought in, I was thinking they were Postecoglou’s choices.
"But maybe he’s has assistance from Mark Lawwell already? It would surely have come from the manager’s approval for Mark Lawwell to come in there.
"Working at Yokohama, that’s what makes me think he would already have been in dialogue with Mark. On phone calls when Mark wasn’t on Celtic’s payroll.
"I’m sure that Postecoglou chose a lot of those players themselves with a bit of help from others over in those countries. Those with the knowledge of those players in those countries."
The Verdict: Hoops in strong hands
The key to a successful club is having everyone pulling in the same direction and it certainly feels that way at Celtic currently, from the boardroom and manager to the playing staff and supporters.
Lawwell could prove to be an excellent addition to the staff, putting his expertise to good use and building an effective relationship with Postecoglou, ensuring the right players are signed.
Some may point to the fact that his father, Peter Lawwell, has helped him get the job, but McLeish's comments suggest that the early signs are promising.
In other news, a pundit has made a double Celtic transfer claim. Read more here.