CELTIC hero John Hartson reckons Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox outfit should consider conceding this season’s title.
The eight-in-a-row champions are 13 points clear at the Premiership pinnacle and are awaiting crucial news with only eight games to play until the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
The Govan side have a game in hand and also face home and away encounters with the Hoops.
The Scottish football bosses remain undecided if the season will be restarted or declared completed in the view of the worldwide emergency.
Debates have taken place and arguments have already broken out over what should be done with the championship.
Parkhead gaffer Neil Lennon insists his side, who have played 30 league games, should be crowned champions for the ninth successive campaign if the season can’t be completed, while their Glasgow rivals astonishingly feel the entire season should be declared null and void.
Legendary Celtic striker Hartson, speaking to BBC Sportsound, insisted the Ibrox club should step aside.
He said: “I think they would come out of it with huge respect and gratitude.
“Rangers would come away with an awful lot of credit if they were to say: ‘You have been worthy champions, you have a massive lead’.
“I can honestly say I’d be saying exactly the same if Rangers had the lead. Celtic have got to probably lose five of their last eight games to be overtaken. Let’s be realistic, that isn’t going to happen.
“It would be an incredible thing to do for Rangers, but like everyone else I don’t expect them to.
“It would be a commendable thing to do, but I’m not naive.
“This is their prerogative and if they wanted to play all the games, that’s fine. You’ve got a similar problem at the bottom with teams going for places and the money that comes with that.
“Celtic would not want Rangers to do that, they wouldn’t want to be handed it, but common sense has to prevail.”
The Hoops have lost only two league outings from the 30 played – 2-0 at Livingston and 2-1 to the Govan club at Parkhead, their city rivals’ first win in the east end of Glasgow for nine years.
