Dom McKay's shock resignation as Celtic's chief executive came as a major blow as "he could have transformed" the club, according to journalist Stuart Hodge.
What's the latest news involving McKay?
McKay was confirmed as Celtic's new chief executive at the start of the year, with the intention being that he would succeed Peter Lawwell upon his retirement during the summer.
Having been headhunted as Lawwell's successor, McKay admitted to seeing the job offer as a “once in a lifetime opportunity”.
However, it was announced in April that McKay would begin working at the club around three months ahead of schedule, with his move from Scottish Rugby being brought forward.
McKay's early arrival resulted in him playing a key role in former Australia boss Ange Postecoglou being appointed as Celtic's new manager in June.
While McKay became the head honcho at the start of July, following Lawwell's retirement, he dropped a bombshell last week by resigning just a matter of months into the role for personal reasons.
It has been reported that tension behind the scenes was a significant reason for McKay choosing to walk away just 72 days into the job.
What has Stuart Hodge said about McKay's resignation?
Hodge believes McKay's departure from Parkhead comes as a huge blow to Celtic as they look to bounce back after seeing arch-rivals Rangers clinch their first Scottish Premiership title in a decade last season, ending the Hoops' hopes of winning a 10th consecutive crown in the process.
The journalist feels McKay was a shrewd appointment and could have taken the Parkhead-based club to another level.
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Hodge told GMS: "This is where the great misunderstanding of this whole thing comes.
"He's a finance guy, a brand guy, a marketing guy and great at it.
"He could have transformed Celtic if he'd been given a free hand to do so."
How have Celtic reacted to the situation?
Celtic’s director of legal and football affairs Michael Nicholson, who has been on the club's books since 2013, has been appointed as the acting chief executive officer in the interim.
Nicholson is reportedly among the contenders to replace McKay on a permanent basis, while Ross Desmond, Ramon Vega, Brett Desmond and Susan Whelan are also thought to be in the running.
The club have publicly thanked McKay for his efforts during his brief stint at Parkhead and wished the former Scottish Rugby chief operating officer well for the future.