Former Celtic boss Martin O'Neill has joked signing Neil Lennon was the biggest "mistake" of his storied footballing career.
The 68-year-old was a guest on Sky Sports' The Football Show and produced a rather whimsical tale when asked by Jamie Redknapp to recall his biggest howler during five decades in the beautiful game.
And instead of recalling a tactical oversight or a signing flop - the Irishman joked that starting a relationship with Lennon at Leicester back in 1996 is his career lowlight.
The pair enjoyed a storied nine-year relationship at Filbert Street and at Celtic before O'Neill left Glasgow in the summer of 2005.
And O'Neill couldn't resist taking a playful jab at the player who he was closer to than any other during 30 years in the dugout.
He said: "You talk about Celtic and you talk about Neil Lennon doing a job at this moment, he's done exceptionally well.
"He was a bit of a character, feisty, but I signed him from Crewe Alexandra to Leicester and I think that eventually changed his life as much as anything else.
"John Robertson and I, we went up to try and get him to sign, because we really felt he would change the fortunes of Leicester City.
"We were in the Championship at the time, desperate to get promotion that year, and we go up to his place and his residence was a bit of a hovel to be perfectly honest.
"Even the mice were refusing the cheese that was about the place.
"But John had this idea that we will not leave his until he absolutely decides to come and join us.
"So, it's half three in the morning, when we bored him into submission, he said, 'yeah, alright, I'll sign'.
"And you mentioned now, with all the great times that he has had, whether it was a mistake to sign him, maybe it was.
"I'm only joking."
