Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon insists he will NEVER rule out a return to Parkhead as manager - but admitted Ange Postecoglou will have the hot seat for a long time if he keeps up his current form.
Despite lifting five league titles during his two spells in the Celtic Park dugout, the Northern Irishman's second era at Celtic ended during a disastrous bid to defend the Scottish Premiership title and secure 10 league titles in a row. Fans attended protests in Glasgow's east end after the meek League Cup defeat to Ross County signalled the end of an era of domestic dominance for Celtic, while Rangers went on to lift the league title.
Lennon appeared to be enjoying a career revival in Cyprus with Omonia Nicosia having led the minnows to the Cypriot Cup and the Europa League group stage, but his time at the club was cut short after just eight months in the hot seat after struggling for form in the league. However, the 51-year-old is looking to the future and has opened up on the prospect of a return to Celtic.
Speaking to Football Odds, Lennon said: "I've had a great privilege to manage Celtic over six years in two different stints, but at the minute, Ange Postecoglou is a great manager who is doing a great job. I'll never say never to re-joining Celtic, but at the moment it's a long way off.
"Ange Postecoglou does not need any advice at the moment with the job he's doing. He'll be looking at improving the team, performances and his own personal record. The football they play is spectacular, they have a great mentality as shown in the Old Firm where they got a goal out of nothing. I'd suggest to enjoy the big occasions."
Lennon revisited the end of his tenure at Celtic Park, stating the absence of fans during the Covid pandemic played a major role in the collapse of the Hoops' title defence. He went on: It was difficult playing during the pandemic, I could have done things a little differently but it was an unprecedented time for everyone. It was a time when things were out of your control.
"Having no fans in the stadium had a massive effect, Covid-19 was affecting the players too who were a long way from home. My second spell was successful with five trophies out of seven, we were flying before Covid kicked in, but we had to start all over again. I had to become a sort of father figure to some of the players and I visited them because they would have come from different countries.
"No supporters in the stadium and in the streets took a toll on a lot of the players. With no money around at the time, clubs couldn't buy players who wanted a new challenge. The fans are so important to Celtic, particularly on the Champions League and on European nights, they make a huge difference. In the team I played in, our record at Celtic Park was excellent, and that's down to the fans. You miss them when you play in away games, they're so unique."
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