IN his five years in charge at Celtic, Martin O’Neill won seven trophies, including a domestic treble in his first season. He led the Hoops to their first European final in 33 years, and signed a number of players who would become fan favourites and club greats.

Neil Lennon was one of those stars, and his former mentor could not be prouder of all that the current Hoops boss has achieved in two spells in the Celtic Park dugout. Speaking about the nine-in-a-row champions’ latest feat, Martin O'Neill was full of praise for Neil Lennon, as a player and as a manager...

ON CELTIC WINNING NINE-IN-A-ROW
‘It’s great news isn’t it? It would have been pretty poor news had anything else developed. It’s a great achievement, absolutely wonderful, and Neil Lennon has done brilliantly, both as a player for Celtic originally, and as a manager on a couple of occasions.

‘I signed Neil twice, first for Leicester City from Crew Alexandria. I knew his character, I knew his ability, apart from anything else, and sometimes those things get overlooked when you’re looking at a bigger picture. He was very seldom captain for me, in terms of having the armband – both at Leicester and Celtic – but in effect he was captain of the team, he ruled things from midfield. When I look back and think about it, he was a fantastic signing for us at the time.

"We were going quite strongly in the league, although Rangers were unbelievably strong at that particular time. We signed him around Christmas time, I think he made his debut against Dundee one evening, and he’s been brilliant ever since.’

ON NEIL LENNON’S ACHIEVEMENTS AS HOOPS MANAGER
‘He came in this time around in difficult circumstances. Celtic were in a decent position in the league, but they had to negotiate cup matches, and that wasn’t easy. Brendan leaving to go to Leicester, there was a wee bit of turmoil, and I suppose opposition teams might have been able to sense that. It seemed as if, from a distance, seamless. It was probably anything but that.

'He’s got a different style of management, he had to adjust again, the players had to get to know him. Overall, it was a terrific effort. And this season now, to have charged on as it were, to put the disappointment of Rangers winning at Celtic Park behind them, and to go on and sweep all before them.

‘I think he’s the perfect man to guide Celtic from here. To me, I thought Neil coming back in was an excellent appointment. He would have that attitude about it anyway, he wouldn’t lie down in any circumstances. I thought it was a great appointment, which it has proved, and I remember saying to him at the time, 'Yeah, go'. He was going to put his whole personality back into the football club again and that’s what he’s done.’

Martin O'Neill hails Neil Lennon & Celtic's extraordinary achievement