Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon looking for manager's job outside of Scotland

Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon believes his next job in football management will come from outside Scotland having ‘exhausted his avenues’ over the past two decades.

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Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon has recently been doing punditry work. Picture: SNSFormer Celtic boss Neil Lennon has recently been doing punditry work. Picture: SNS
Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon has recently been doing punditry work. Picture: SNS

The 49-year-old has been out of work since walking away from the Parkhead hotseat in February with the reigning champions 18 points behind rivals Rangers in the title race as the dream of ten-in-a-row turned into a disaster.

Since then Lennon has been doing a bit of punditry, including agreeing to a regular column in the Times throughout this summer’s European Championships.

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However, he admits it doesn’t quite match up to the thrill of managing a team and is looking to broaden his horizons after spending the best part of 21 years in his adopted nation.

He told the Times: “I think punditry is easy. You can do a bit of research, go and speak to people, and then just go and watch the game and then give a balanced opinion on how you see the game. I’ve done punditry at the Euros and at the World Cup and I really enjoy it. I love it. But it doesn’t replace the adrenaline rush of managing.

“I’ve had a brilliant time in Glasgow but I want a new challenge. I’ve been a mainstay in Scottish football for a long time, since 2000 really. I’ve had an amazing time. Very, very successful, but it’s exhausted my avenues in Scotland now I think.

“I’ll be looking for something to stimulate me again. I’m at an interesting point in life, coming up to that marker and then there is another new life ahead.”

Lennon also hit back at criticism of his management style which pegged him as a footballing dinosaur.

He added: "It’s just absolute nonsense. I’d just won a treble so if I’m a dinosaur what does that make all the rest?

"It’s not like we played route one football. We were flexible with changes, we could play a diamond or a back three or 4-3-3, I had young coaches like John Kennedy, Damien Duff and Gavin Strachan who were very forward thinking and our coaching methods were all geared for the modern player.

"It’s just a throwaway remark that is just completely untrue. Young dinosaur! T-Rex!”

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