Lennon staying put for now

Neil Lennon has never hidden his desire to be a manager in his own right one day - but he insists he has no intention of walking away from Celtic any time soon.

The former Hoops midfielder took his first step towards a career in management when he returned to the club last April as part of Gordon Strachan's backroom staff.

Lennon is relishing the role that he hopes will one day lead to him landing the top job at a club but, for now, believes he could not ask for a better education.

'I want to be a manager one day and I couldn't get a better tutor than Gordon Strachan,' he said.

'It's a great opportunity for me and a great first job outside of playing the game. I love working with him and all the guys around the club.

'You would be daft not to learn from someone like Gordon, you learn something new about the game every day because there are different personalities you have to deal with around the football club.

'It's all new to me and it's been a real eye-opener, a real learning curve. There is no formula, you just have to suck it and see and hopefully your way will be the right way in terms of being successful.'

Asked whether he is ready to manage now, Lennon added: 'It's a good question. I don't know. I'm in no rush and I'm very happy doing what I'm doing at the moment.

'We're right in the middle of a title chase so I won't be going anywhere in the foreseeable future, that's for sure.'

Lennon might love his latest role at Celtic but admits coaching is much tougher than being a player.

'It's actually more nerve-wracking believe it or not,' he said.

'Playing is a doddle compared to what you do in the dug-out. You prepare the team as much as you can but, once the whistle goes, it's up to them. When you're playing, you're fully concentrated on your own game.

'In the dug-out, you keep an eye on everybody. It's been great, it's the next best thing to playing and I've really enjoyed it.

'There have been a few more ups and downs this season. Last season when I came in, we won seven out of seven games and won the league and everything was brilliant. I thought 'this is a doddle, this job!'

'Now I've seen the highs and lows and it hurts you more than when playing.'

RTE