Martin O’Neill insists he always expected Neil Lennon to thrive in management as the former Celtic captain prepares to face his old boss in Saturday’s Scottish Cup final.
Lennon, now in charge of Dunfermline, will go head-to-head with O’Neill for the first time, having previously played under the 74-year-old at both Leicester City and Celtic before taking the job himself in 2010.
O’Neill said: “Neil Lennon has been fantastic for me as a player, absolutely fantastic. He pulled it round at Leicester City when I needed help big time, and he came to this football club. I chased him for about six months and finally got him.
“And what he did for the football club here in that time, in what I would call a really splendid time for the SPL, was fantastic.
“Then what he goes on to do as a manager here – his record as a player and as a manager at this football club, I think it’s unsurpassed.”
Read more
-
I was Callum Osmand's youth coach, this is why he's built for lasting Celtic impact
-
O'Neill reveals phone number leak and 'reversed' Celtic pitch invasion theory
-
SFA release Celtic vs Hearts audio, confirm Don Robertson blew final whistle
O’Neill added that Lennon’s success in the dugout came as no surprise. “There are a lot of players that I’ve managed that might have surprised me by going into management and doing well. Neil Lennon, what he’s done, did not surprise me," he said.
“Obviously he loved playing but when he stepped into managing and coaching, I knew he’d be successful. I just knew he would do it because he had it within him.
"It’s there, it’s in his character.”
The final caps a dramatic end to the season for O’Neill, whose side sealed the Premiership title last weekend after a late surge. “I’m really looking forward to the game,” he said. “You wouldn’t believe how much I’m looking forward to it.
“Winning the league is like a weight off your shoulders because you’ve been carrying it around for quite some time. We were trying to get into the picture, lost a lot of ground at Tannadice, fought back brilliantly and won the last seven games.
“We got in front at the end and it was wonderful.”
