Dermot Desmond takes Rangers liquidation dig as Celtic owner reveals Peter Lawwell’s role in club’s decision to appoint Ange Postecoglou

Dermot Desmond has taken a thinly-veiled dig at Glasgow rivals Rangers after claiming there will never be “a new Celtic” as he outlined the club’s financial model.

The Hoops majority shareholder addressed a range of issues in an exclusive interview with Celtic TV and insisted that manager Ange Postecoglou has the final say on transfers.

Celtic had dominated the Scottish Premiership for a decade prior to last season’s chaotic pursuit of ten-in-a-row, with several big money signings failing to impress.

However, the decision to appointment Postecoglou as manager and giving the Australian full control to oversee the Parkhead club’s squad rebuild this term has transformed their fortunes.

Japanese trio Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate all managed to hit the ground running and have developed into fan favourites among Celtic fans.

Desmond outlined the board set out fiscal parameters to stop the club “going into liquidation” as he appeared to allude to events that took place at Ibrox in 2012.

He said: “The manager of the club over the last 20 years has always decided on the players to bring in. Not the board, not anyone else.

“Researchers provide information for the manager, maybe in conjunction with his coaching staff, he makes the ultimate decision, he is the chairman of the board.

“Ange is the chairman of the board of Celtic, he is the person that signs the players, he is the person that takes the brickbats and takes the credits.

“That is the recruitment, it is not the board that decides yes or no. What the board does do, it will set out the budget that we can afford so that we can be financially prudent in the way that we run the club.

“We do not want the club to get into a financial state where the club goes into liquidation and there is going to be a new Celtic.

“We want our history to be continuous, not to be curtailed through financial mismanagement.”

Desmond revealed former Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell was the driving force behind Postecoglou’s appointment last summer.

Lawwell, who stood down from his role at Parkhead on June 30, helped the club secure the services of the ambitious J-League boss before his departure.

Desmond admitted a five-man shortlist was created following Neil Lennon’s decision to quit his role with current Newcastle boss Eddie Howe their number one target.

When he turned down the vacant post, Desmond confirmed that Lawwell suggested Postecoglou was the man for the job.

He commented: “What Peter and I did on a continuous basis was put five names on the list we feel could be the manager of Celtic. We always had a list of five.

“In this case we had a list of five and Ange was on the list. I had no idea who Ange was, I couldn’t pronounce his name.

“Peter was insistent he was a person we should put on the list, that he had a great record.

“We pursued another manager in public. He was excellent to deal with, a person of ability and integrity, I couldn’t say enough good things about him.

“But, unfortunately, for personal reasons, he couldn’t take up the position. That happened at 12.30 on a Thursday and I made arrangements to speak with Ange at 5 o’clock UK time.

“I should say, prior to that, I researched quite a bit about Ange and what he’d achieved, what his type of personality is.

“I watched that Craig Foster interview several times, that showed he his determination, integrity, passion and individualism.

“And that he was a leader, he was a general. I was very pleased to interview Ange.”