Kris Commons has warned that Eddie Howe is not the 'Messiah' as Celtic prepare to land their man.

The English manager is set to take over at Parkhead after the club hierarchy met with the former Bournemouth boss in secret talks last week. But Commons, a former Celtic midfielder, has insisted that his old club will not be getting a leader of the same calibre as Martin O'Neill or Brendan Rodgers, despite fan clamour to name Howe.

Commons believes Howe has not proven himself a top boss because of the level he has worked at in comparison to the experience O'Neill and Rodgers had in management before they moved to Parkhead.

"Howe is not the Messiah in the way Martin O'Neill was," Commons told the Daily Mail. "Nor is he Brendan Rodgers, who revelled in the limelight from the moment he arrived. O'Neill and Rodgers were forces of nature throughout their time in Glasgow. Their personality and weight of character always gave them a chance of succeeding.

"Howe, by contrast, seems more reserved. He is articulate, but softly spoken. It is difficult to imagine him holding court in the dressing room in the same way O'Neill or Rodgers did.

"On the day Rodgers was unveiled, 13,000 fans were there in Celtic Park to greet him. He was an instant hero. Howe was managing a club whose home ground only holds 11,000 fans. More people turned out to see Rodgers parade a Celtic scarf above his head than can fit inside Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium. This is not meant to sound flippant.

"Just an indication of the reality into which Howe is about to be thrust. It will be an almighty culture shock. Howe's CV isn't even in the same league as Rodgers' when he took the job at Parkhead."

Commons did point to Rangers boss Steven Gerrard's lack of experience in a hot-seat but says his knowledge of working and playing at a massive club like Liverpool helped him, whereas Howe did not reach the same heights.

"Howe has never managed a European game in his life," he added. "Admittedly, neither had Gerrard prior to taking the Rangers job. But he knew what it felt like to be immersed in a huge club. Gerrard carried that weight of expectation on his shoulders for almost 20 years at Liverpool. He drove the club on almost single-handedly to win a Champions League title.

"The highlight of Howe's managerial career to date has been a ninth-placed finish in the Premier League in 2017. He deserves credit for getting a club of such modest stature into the top flight in the first place and keeping them there for five seasons.

"But spare me the notion it was some sort of miracle. It wasn't quite the fairytale some would have you believe. Throughout their rise up the leagues, Bournemouth were lavishly funded by a Russian billionaire.

"In season 2014-15, when promoted to the top flight, they were found to have breached Financial Fair Play rules and were subsequently fined £4.75million. During five years in the Premier League under Howe, Bournemouth had a net spend of just over £135m.

"That put them on a par with Chelsea during that same period. Liverpool and Spurs both had a net spend of just over £90m in those same years.

"The idea that Howe worked miracles on a tight budget is a myth. He spent a fortune and often squandered it on poor players."