Celtic legend tells fans not to worry

Celtic goalscoring legend Bobby Lennox is confident the club will attract bigger stars than Nacho Novo.

Martin O’Neill appears to have been pipped by Old Firm rival Alex McLeish in the race to sign the Spanish striker.

But Lennox is not too concerned by the news and still expects the club’s forthcoming Champions League campaign and ongoing development to attract some bigger names this summer.

He told the Press Association: “They are in the Champions League again and have also been in the UEFA Cup final.

“Only four teams can play in the European finals in a season and it was a big measure of the team getting there.

“A lot of players would love to play there in the Champions League and for Martin.

“There are 60,000 people at home every second week and that’s an attraction in itself so top players will come.”

Lennox is far from concerned by the club’s lack of activity so far this summer in the transfer market.

Novo will join Dragan Mladenovic, Dado Prso, Marvin Andrews, Alex Rae and Jean-Alain Boumsong at Ibrox as McLeish attempts to wrest the balance of power away from Parkhead.

Celtic have been linked with a number of big stars including Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink but have yet to make a high-profile signing this summer.

But the Lisbon Lion trusts O’Neill to be shrewd and get his own top men before the season gets underway.

Lennox continued: “I don’t think it’s a concern until the start of the season.

“Martin is Martin and will have his cards close to his chest as usual I would imagine.

“He knows what he’s doing and he’s proved that with a great reputation in the transfer market in the past.

“He is very astute and clever and he doesn’t say what he’s going to do – he just does it.

“Martin will bring people in and I am confident of that.

“The fans get concerned because that’s their club, their life and the love of their life.

“They will always be concerned because they want Martin to sign four or five big superstars. You always want that.”

Lennox points out that O’Neill still has the same team as last season with the notable exception of Henrik Larsson.

They won the Premier League and Scottish Cup double and he is optimistic of another successful campaign.

Lennox said: “We won’t be spending millions and millions like a Chelsea but we’ve got a good team.

“The only difference is that Henrik and Johan (Mjallby) have gone but the rest of the squad is still there.

“That’s Martin’s job but something will happen and he will get players in that will take them to the next level.

“I don’t think people realise that we still have the same team.

“The team that finished last season is still there without Henrik.”

Lennox admits that O’Neill will not get anybody as good as Larsson but might get a partnership just as fruitful.

He concluded: “Henrik’s been absolutely wonderful and a god at Parkhead.

“But time moves on and Henrik has moved on so somebody else will come in.

“I doubt if they will get somebody as good but they might get a couple of players who will be just as good between them hopefully.

“We won’t stand still and even though Henrik’s away we will still go on and be successful at home and in Europe.”