CELTIC general manager Jock Brown refused to be drawn on the club's new first team coach - but Bobby Robson dropped a clear hint yesterday he is prepared to leave Barcelona.

Robson has been strongly tipped to be the man Celtic want to lead them into a new era of Scottish football. But Brown refuses to discuss names, beyond insisting the new coach will have a proven track record in football's big league.

"The bottom line remains the same. We won't respond to speculation," said Brown, who has been in his post for less than a week.

Robson saw his side win the Spanish Cup against Real Betis on Saturday night, and admitted it would be a great way to pull down the curtain on his stormy yet successful year in Barcelona.

He certainly is a man with pedigree, having seen success at all his clubs - Ipswich, PSV Eindhoven, Sporting Lisbon, Porto and Barcelona, where he has won three trophies in his first season.

The former England manager said: "If it's my last game (at Barcelona), then it's a great way to finish. I suppose it's the first time in history something like this has happened, so it seems I've made history."

Whoever takes over at Celtic, Brown believes the European-style management set-up - with himself as general manager and a big name coach in charge of the team - is the way to bring the glory days back to Parkhead.

Brown said: "He will not be involved in buying players but he will identify the target and I will either deliver him to the training field or tell him he's not available.