Lennon waits on O'Neill confirmation

Neil Lennon wants reassurances from Martin O’Neill that he is staying as manager of Celtic before committing his own future to the newly-crowned Bank of Scotland Premier League champions.

The Parkhead boss has been in contract talks with the midfielder, who followed him from Leicester City to Glasgow.

But Lennon has put those negotiations on hold until he knows for sure that he will not be leaving the club for a return to England with Liverpool or Tottenham.

He said: “We are in discussions about a new contract but that will all be on hold until things are resolved with the manager.

“Obviously he is the gaffer at the minute and I’m talking with him.

“Things will change if he does go but I’m keeping my fingers crossed he doesn’t.

“He is his own man and he is always going to be linked with every big job that comes along because of his record.”

But the strong indications are that O’Neill wants to stay at Parkhead to take the club to the latter stages of the Champions League next season after relative European success.

He has set his sights on at least four new signings with Rivaldo and Dimitar Berbatov among those being linked.