Hibs chief Leeann Dempster: ‘I still have a picture of Neil Lennon on my desk’

Hibernian chief executive Leeann Dempster has admitted that she still has a picture of Neil Lennon in her office, despite the former manager leaving the club in controversial circumstances.

Speaking to Edi Stark on BBC Radio Scotland’s Stark Talk, Dempster acknowledges that she has a picture of the Northern Irishman in front of her desk. She said: “There has been a lot written about the relationship between Neil and I, particularly towards the end of his time at Hibernian. I know a lot of it is incorrect.

“Neil was an incredibly important part of life here at Hibernian, he’s incredibly well-respected. Some may find this strange to believe but I like him very much.

“I feel he still has a stature within the club, therefore I’ve left the photograph up.”

Neil Lennon and Hibernian chief executive Leeann Dempster. Pic: SNS/Ross Parker

Asked by Stark if she’d ever considered taking the picture down, Dempster replied: “I thought about it and then I felt it was probably inappropriate.

“People come and go for different reasons. Neil was great for us and we’re grateful of that.”

Lennon left the Easter Road side in January by mutual consent, having initially been suspended by the club. Lennon has since taken over the managerial reigns at Celtic on an interim basis.

In a wide-ranging interview, Dempster also said that Alan Stubbs remains “a hero” after bringing home the Scottish Cup in 2016.

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