Lennon: ‘Impossible’ to keep Forster if big club bids

Fraser Forster boosted his standing with a fine show against Barcelona. Picture: PA

The England squad player enhanced his burgeoning reputation as a world-class stopper with another crucial display in Tuesday’s Champions League win over Ajax.

Lennon said during the summer that the 25-year-old, who signed a four-year contract last year in a permanent switch from Newcastle, was “not for sale at any price” but now concedes that he faces a struggle to keep potential suitors at bay.

Lennon said: “I think it’s going to be impossible to keep Fraser the way he is playing.

“Inevitably, I feel a big club will come in and make a huge bid for him.

“Sometimes it’s frustrating as a manager because you’re trying to build something and trying to progress as a club, but I think it’s a huge compliment to what we’ve done here in the last two or three years. I think he is one of the best goalkeepers in the tournament.

“People might say I’m biased but I think over the last two seasons now he has proved at the highest level that he is a fantastic goalkeeper.”

Speaking to Central FM, Lennon added: “He is only 25 and that is so young for a goalkeeper. He has just got so much more to come in terms of his natural development.

“But the way he is playing at the minute and the fact that he is knocking on the door to be England’s number one, and he is playing in the Scottish league, speaks volumes for his talent.” Lennon also admitted he only realised how good Celtic’s win over Ajax was when he watched a rerun of the game at three o’clock in the morning.

Unable to sleep on Tuesday night following the euphoria of masterminding Celtic’s first Champions League Group H victory over the Dutch champions, Lennon studied the gripping 2-1 success from the comfort of his living room.

Celtic got their European campaign up and running courtesy of goals from James Forrest and Beram Kayal, with Lasse Schone scoring an injury-time consolation for the visitors.

The win moves Lennon’s side up to third in their section ahead of the 6 November return clash in Amsterdam.

The Celtic manager said: “I actually watched the game again and I was up to about three, four o’clock.

“We played better than I initially thought we did so that pleased me more.

“Sometimes you get a better view of it when you’re sitting in the quiet of the living room and you’re watching the game on your own.”