Lennon: leaving Celtic is the worst possible scenario
The midfielder’s representatives will hold talks with the club in the first week of January and he is hoping the outcome will be at least another year at Parkhead.
His current contract expires in May and Lennon is desperate to remain at Celtic - a club where he has become a favourite with the Hoops faithful.
He followed Martin O’Neill to Glasgow from Leicester four years ago and admits he would have to consider a return south of the border if he is told there is no future for him at Celtic.
He said: “I’ve considered it but I’m a million miles away from that at the minute. It’s always been in the back of my thoughts that the worst possible scenario is that I have to leave here.
“If that opportunity comes up I’ll seriously consider it, however, I want to take care of things here first and see how it goes.
“There is a meeting with my representatives in the first week in January, so I’ll take it from there.
“Ideally it would be great to stay but there are no guarantees that is going to happen. It all depends how the talks go.”
Lennon claims he is not alarmed that talks will take place just a few months before his contract expires.
Fans are already concerned by the protracted nature of discussions over a new deal for John Hartson who, like Lennon, is out of contract at the end of the season and free to talk to other clubs next month. But Lennon believes O’Neill has proved in the past that he simply likes to conduct his business at the last possible moment.
The midfielder said: “I don’t think it’s strange at all. I know what the manager is like. He likes to leave everything to the last minute, whether trying to keep players on or bring players in. I’m totally chilled out about the whole thing. I’ve never been in a rush or banging down anybody’s doors. I’m not frustrated at all.”
He insists his decision to remain at Celtic will be completely unaffected by whether or not players like Hartson and Bobo Balde extend their own contracts. “I’ve been here for four years and I’m quite settled. I’m looking for a bit of security basically for the last year or two of my career.
“It might be different for some of the other players, but at the minute that’s all I’m looking for.
“I’m only thinking about what I’m doing. I’m not looking at other players. If they’re going to leave or they’re going to stay, that’s fine.”
Lennon believes what is best for him would be the opportunity to end his career at Parkhead.
He said: “It would be a massive wrench to leave. I’ve loved my time here, but I’m not even thinking about leaving. That would be the last scenario for me.
“I’m going to give the club and myself every opportunity to stay on.
“I’m 34 in June so, if I got another year, I’d be 35 then. I would think about hanging my boots up after that.”
Meanwhile Icelandic youngsters Theodor Elmar Bjarnason and Kjartan Henry Finnbogason have both agreed two-and-a-half-year deals with the Scottish champions.
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