Hay will be chief scout at Celtic

completed by the end of the week when David Hay will become chief scout

and

senior aide to manager Tommy Burns, writes Ian Paul.

The men brought to the club by ex-manager Lou Macari, Chic Bates,

Ashley Grimes, and Peter Henderson, have left the club and it is likely

that another former Celtic player, Willie McStay, older brother of team

captain Paul, will be in place on the coaching staff shortly.

McStay has been a great success as manager of Sligo Rovers and Burns

has a high regard for his talents.

The position of youth development officer Tommy Craig is not clear,

however, although there would be no question of him being shown the door

by Burns, who has always had a lot of respect for Craig's coaching

skills and, indeed, is his assistant at Scotland Under-21 level.

But while Craig is anxious to return to coaching, there may not be any

room for him in the first team backroom staff, and it might well be that

Tommy will prefer to test his talents elsewhere.

Other news from what is becoming a busy place is that Charlie Nicholas

is back in the fold. The striker has agreed a new one-year contract to

stay with the club under Burns.

Said the manager: ''With only two first team strikers here, Simon

Donnelly and Andy Walker, the squad is already too small and I wanted to

give Charlie the opportunity to stay.''

Burns already had reinstated Packie Bonner, who had been freed by

Macari, but is intent on adding new blood as well.

One signing could be Dundee winger Neil McCann, but so far the

Parkhead club has only made an inquiry and the move may depend on how

much Dundee want for the promising under-21 internationalist.

Hay's role will be to back up the managerial team of Burns and Billy

Stark who will be completely involved with the top-team players.

Celtic let one player go yesterday, goalkeeper Carl Muggleton, who

went to Stoke City for #200,000, seven months after being bought by

Macari from Leicester for #150,000.