Neil Lennon opens up on Celtic regrets - 'I could've maybe done things a little differently but it was unprecedented'

Neil Lennon's last Celtic match was on February 21, 2021 against Ross County.

The Northern Irishman left the Glasgow club before the end of the 2020/21 campaign, which was played during the coronavirus pandemic. Celtic were looking to win a record-setting tenth Premiership title in a row but fell short, with Rangers running away with the championship. Lennon left the club in February 2021 after a 1-0 defeat by Ross County in Dingwall and revealed that he had to be a father figure to some players and that the club was affected massively by not having any fans inside the stadium.

“It was difficult playing during the pandemic,” said Lennon. “I could have maybe done things a little differently but it was an unprecedented time for everyone. It was a time when things were out of your control. Having no fans in the stadium had a massive effect, Covid-19 was affecting the players too who were a long way from home. My second spell was successful with five trophies out of seven, we were flying before Covid kicked in, but we had to start all over again.

“I had to become a sort of father figure to some of the players and visit them because they would have come from different countries. No supporters in the stadium and in the streets took a toll on a lot of the players. With no money around at the time, clubs couldn't buy players who wanted a new challenge.”

Lennon added when speaking about Rangers v Celtic odds in an interview with Boylesports: “The fans are so important to Celtic, particularly on the Champions League and on European nights, they make a huge difference. In the team I played in, our record at Celtic Park was excellent, and that's down to the fans. You miss them when you play in away games, they're so unique.”

Lennon has since managed in Cyprus with Omonia and was recently linked with the managerial vacancy at Israeli outfit Hapoel Tel Aviv.