Kayal: Lennon makes Hoops feel special

Celtic midfielder Beram Kayal has praised manager Neil Lennon for making the players feel they have been together for years.

Since taking charge of the team on a permanent basis last summer, Lennon has signed 13 of the first-team squad who have secured pole position in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League title race.

Two of those newcomers, Gary Hooper and Kris Commons, provided the goals that earned Celtic a 3-0 victory over Rangers yesterday in a one-sided Old Firm derby at Parkhead.

The win moved Celtic eight points clear at the top of the table and extended their impressive attacking form to 24 goals in eight games.

Kayal arrived from Maccabi Haifa in July but a groin operation saw him sidelined for much of the first half of the season.

But he bounced back in style, winning the Clydesdale Bank player of the month award for January, and he himself looks like he has played in the team for years.

However, he credits Lennon for instilling the team ethic into his group of players.

Kayal said: “He makes us all feel special, and we all try 100% for him. At the beginning of the season the majority were new players.

“A great credit must go to the manager for putting us all together and make us feel we have been playing together for years.

“Every day, every game, everyone here wants to play better and we try every game to continue this month because last month everyone played very well.”

Kayal is suspended for the visit to Motherwell on Sunday, when Celtic could extend their lead to 11 points, although Rangers host St Johnstone hours later.

But Rangers have two games in hand and Kayal insists Celtic are not getting carried away despite the emphatic win.

“We’re not favourites,” the Israel international said. “All the focus for everyone here is to try to play better in every game. I am very happy because we won but the next game on Sunday is not against Rangers.”