Former Celtic manager interested in Premiership vacancy

Originally posted on The Celtic Star | Last updated 3/8/24

Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon has thrown his hat in the ring to be the next permanent manager of Aberdeen. The Irishman has been out of work since leaving Cypriot side Omonia Nicosia last season and was heavily linked with the Republic of Ireland vacancy before FAI decided to pursue alternative targets.

As reported by Football Scotland, Lennon has said that he would be interested in taking over at Pittodrie – with Neil Warnock currently in charge until the end of the season.

“Timing’s important and the Aberdeen job is something that I’d very much be interested in, no question. There’s great potential there.

“I was linked with it last month but, at the time, I was still involved with the process of the Ireland position, so I couldn’t really take it on.

“I’m doing a bit of punditry work and I’m very grateful for that, but it’s not what I want to do.

“I feel like I’ve plenty left in me as a coach.

“I’ve done a lot in my career as a coach, I’ve achieved a lot, but there’s still more to do.

Lennon would be the ideal candidate for Aberdeen, making Pittodrie a tough venue to travel to. The Dons are, arguably, the third biggest club in Scotland and under Derek McInnes they certainly fulfilled that potential but never quite got the trophies to back that up.

With Lennon, who was hugely successful in two spells at Celtic, they’d be able to call upon a manager that has worked within a budget and punched above his weight – working at Hibs, Bolton and in Cyprus, as well as Celtic in Europe.

Lenny believes that he would be well equipped to take over a new role that would allow him to manage and coach.

“At 52, my best years are in front of me in terms of experience, my achievements in the game and what I’ve done and learned as a manager.

“But I can manage and I can coach. I can do both.

“I’m looking to get back in. I’ve had a bit of time out. I got offered a couple of jobs in the summer but the timing wasn’t right and they didn’t appeal to me.

“I’ll have to see the season out talking on the punditry!”

The personality and aura around Lennon would certainly be appealing to the Pittodrie support, who have been looking for a replacement for Derek McInnes since he departed in 2021. The progress that McInnes has made at Killie whilst the Dons have burned through Stephen Glass, Jim Goodwin and Barry Robson suggests that they may have made a mistake.

This article first appeared on The Celtic Star and was syndicated with permission.

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