Berkovic backs Burns

Berkovic celebrates a goal against deadly rivals Rangers

Celtic's Israeli international midfielder Eyal Berkovic has said he would like to see former manager Tommy Burns given the vacant head coach's job.

Berkovic told BBC Scotland he would like Burns to get the job if interim manager Kenny Dalglish does not want it.

Scottish football's record buy insisted Burns, who is on a temporary contract with the club as assistant coach, could do as good a job as any of the high profile names being touted for the post.

Berkovic is content at Celtic

He also spoke of his sadness at the sacking of previous head coach John Barnes.

Berkovic, who arrived from West Ham for £5.75m, maintained that he was happy with the Parkhead side despite a turbulent first season in Scottish football.

He believes that the gulf between Celtic and Rangers is not too wide for them to turn their fortunes round next season - if an appointment is made soon.

Big ambition

"It will be very difficult to catch Rangers, but if we strengthen the squad and very quickly find a new manager we can do it," said the diminuitive Israeli.

"It's a very big ambition for me and the rest of the team to win the championship next season."

He said he would like to see Kenny Dalglish in the manager's role on a full-time basis but accepted that he could not be forced to take the job.

Burns gets Berkovic's vote

"If they can't find a manager, they've got Tommy Burns who is very good with the players," he added.

"If he is good part-time, then he'd be good full-time. I think with Tommy we could make a big success here. If you gave him £30m like the other managers want, he'd make a great success.

"I think it was definitely a mistake to sack John Barnes, he was a great guy, but his relationship with journalists was very bad.

"He had a lot of football on his mind - when I talked to him he always spoke of attacking football and scoring a lot of goals.

"The first two months he was here, Celtic played great football and it was a mistake to sack him because of one very bad result. Everyone should have backed him."