Lennon felt poised for Parkhead exit

Neil Lennon admits he might have left Celtic in the summer.

The former Hoops captain was appointed interim manager for the rest of the season on Thursday after Tony Mowbray’s wretched nine-month reign as Parkhead boss was ended following the 4-0 Clydesdale Bank Premier League thrashing at St Mirren.

Lennon, who has recruited former Celtic team-mate Johan Mjallby as his assistant, was a coach under Mowbray’s predecessor, Gordon Strachan.

However, when Mowbray replaced Strachan in the summer he brought with him Mark Venus and Peter Grant as his assistants and Lennon was eventually made reserve-team manager.

It was reported in recent weeks that the Northern Irishman had found himself on the periphery at Parkhead and asked if he might have gone at the end of the season, he replied: “Possibly. I have been doing my coaching licences and was having a look at how things would have developed and looking at the future possibilities of getting a manager’s job elsewhere.

“I was enjoying what I was doing here, for the main part. Obviously you miss the matchday scenario but Tony had his own team and I totally respected that.

“I had a very good working relationship with him. He was good to me, nothing but encouraging.

“He was very good with the younger players as well. I am sorry to see him go but it’s a wonderful opportunity for me.

“I would have liked the circumstances to have been different but I have a job to do until the end of the season and I want to make the most of the opportunity.”

Lennon warned the Celtic players that he aims to quickly stamp his authority on the job.

“I am not their mate,” he said. “I was captain for the last couple of years of my playing career and I was older than the rest of them and I did bark orders out and tell them what to do. So nothing has changed in that aspect.

“But obviously you have to take a step back. That’s why I brought Johan in, he can do most of the stuff on the training ground and I will monitor the progress of the players for the next few weeks.”