CELTIC striking legends Chris Sutton and John Hartson are calling on the Parkhead board to fund a Ronny Deila recruitment drive to help qualification to the Champions League.

Sutton insists the Norwegian has earned the right to be given cash to spend in the summer - despite last Sunday's bitter disappointment in the Scottish Cup semi-final.

And Hartson would love to see the board really push the boat out and splash £5million on a top quality front player that could make the difference in their Euro quest.

Both ex-players know the pressure is on Deila to deliver after the chaotic events last season when they were reinstated after being knocked out by Legia Warsaw and then crashed out to Maribor

But they know how tough it will be and Sutton says the building blocks have to be put in place to give Celtic a fighting chance.

He said: "I think Ronny deserves the chance to bring in players to try to get to the Champions League.

"On Day One of pre-season he deserves to have the players he wants and say 'This is my team, this is the way we are going about it.'

"He has earned the right to do that and the purchases of Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven would suggest that.

"It will be about regrouping in the summer and then there will be massive pressure of trying to get into the Champions League.

"It's not easy being Celtic manager in the current climate in terms of getting players in because they cannot compete in the same market that English clubs can.

"It's difficult and there is the same expectation from us all that Celtic will qualify for the group stages.

"The reality is that because of their budget and their inability to pay big money it makes it harder and harder year on year.

"It's about results and getting through. The Champions League is the be all and end all at the start of the season. They just need to get there."

Hartson would love to see a major name captured in the summer to excite the fans and drive the European campaign.

He said: "You would like to see Celtic go out and spend £5million. I mentioned Jermaine Defoe three years ago - not now - and people ridiculed me.

"But a player like that could have made the difference and got the goals against Maribor that take you into the group stages.

"It's a bit of a gamble. If it works, great. If it doesn't the club suffers financially.

"It would be nice. The supporters would love to go and see a marquis signing, a shirt-seller.

"You never know they might give Ronny a little war chest to go and spend four or five million on a player.

"It really depends whether they feel they have enough to win domestically and that's enough or whether they want to do that little bit more in Europe.

"Leigh Griffiths will want to be the main striker in the Champions League. He won't want Celtic to go out and spend £6million on a striker. but maybe the fans think you need that little bit of quality.

"I was lucky I have two fantastic world class beside me. Sutton had moved to Chelsea for £10million after winning a Premiership title with Alan Shearer at Blackburn and he moved into midfield to allow to play with Henrik Larsson, one of the greatest Celtic players ever seen.

"I'm not going to criticise young Leigh Griffiths. I think he's a good young player and he has learned from his mistakes. He realises he's at a big club and can't get away with things he used to.

"I like him because if you create chances for him he will score.

"But maybe Celtic need to go to that next level and add that bit of quality that can make the difference."

Chris Sutton and John Hartson were speaking on behalf of the John Hartson Foundation to raise awareness over testicular cancer.