Why Dominic McKay left Celtic and the Michael Nicholson plan to fill his shoes at Parkhead

Dominic McKay’s shock departure from Celtic was due to club power brokers believing his appointment wasn’t working.

And the former Scottish rugby chief stepped down before he was let go, reports the Daily Record.

McKay’s exit comes just ten weeks after he officially took up the role, replacing the retired Peter Lawwell.

He oversaw a summer of change at Parkhead with the appointment of new boss Ange Postecoglou, although only after a lengthy and ultimately failed pursuit of former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe.

12 new players were added to the squad as big names from the nine-in-a-row era left.

However, it’s understood this all happened against a backdrop of friction with concerts over the direction in which the club was headed, with structural changes in the pipeline.

Suggestions that Lawwell’s continued presence in the background were the reason for McKay leaving are thought to be wide of the mark.

The stunning news was revealed by Celtic last night in a statement that read: “Celtic Football Club announced today that chief executive Dom McKay has stood down from his position for personal reasons.”

McKay himself stated: “I’d like to thank the Board and everyone at Celtic for their support and wish everyone at Celtic every success for the future.”

Chairman Iain Bankier added: “We thank Dom for his efforts on behalf of the Club and everyone wishes Dom and his family very well for the future”.

Director Michael Nicholson has become acting chief executive. The 45-year-old joined Celtic as company secretary and head of legal in 2013 before stepping up to become director of legal and football affairs in 2019.

The club statement said: “He (Nicholson) has been at the centre of executive decision making at Celtic during his time at the club, working directly with the Board, the chief executive and the football department.

“Michael carries the confidence of the Board and his colleagues. He is widely known and highly regarded in football circles in the UK and in Europe.”

Bankier added: “It has been my pleasure to work closely with Michael for more than eight years now. Having been at the heart of the senior executive and reporting to the Board, he has a solid grip on how to achieve our immediate and future objectives.

“Michael is an absolute team player and he will lead an experienced and talented team of executives and colleagues at Celtic.

“Everyone at Celtic will of course work collectively and focus strongly on ensuring we continue to drive the club forward in every area, on and off the field.

“The board, Ange, our management team and all our staff will continue to work together with the ultimate objective, as always, of delivering success for our supporters.”

It is expected that Nicholson will take on the role full-time and will lead the search for a director of football and head of recruitment.