Neil Lennon content to wait for job clarification

NEIL Lennon has accepted he will have to sweat it out a little longer before he discovers if he has been successful in his bid to become the new Celtic manager.

The former Northern Ireland international's odds on being appointed on a permanent basis shortened to as little as 1-10 with some bookmakers yesterday as indications grew that the Celtic board are ready to hand him the job.

Peter Lawwell, the club's chief executive, told a meeting of the Celtic Trust on Thursday night that an announcement should be made within ten days and promised those in attendance it would be "worth the wait". He also stressed that Lennon, who sat alongside him at the meeting, was a strong candidate.

The former Celtic captain led the club to eight successive SPL victories at the end of the season after being appointed interim manager following the dismissal of Tony Mowbray in March. Despite also suffering a shock Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Ross County, the 38-year-old has considerable support for his appointment among the Celtic support.

Lennon is still waiting to learn his fate almost three weeks after Celtic's last match of the season but he has no problems with the process being undertaken by the board to assess alternatives.

"The club have to get this right," said Lennon who had revealed at the meeting it is possible a more experienced figure may be part of the managerial set-up at the club if he is appointed. "If I do get the job, maybe I would like an older head to bounce ideas off. It is a possibility if the outcome is positive."

Giovanni Trapattoni, the 71-year-old Republic of Ireland manager, has been linked with a mentoring role for Lennon. Several Irish media outlets yesterday speculated that Trapattoni would be able to retain his international position while working at Celtic.