 Lennon atCeltic Park in 2006 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Neil Francis Lennon[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1971-06-25)25 June 1971 (age 54)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Lurgan, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Dunfermline Athletic (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Lurgan Celtic | |||
| 1986–1987 | Glenavon | ||
| 1987–1989 | Manchester City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1986–1987 | Glenavon | 2 | (1) |
| 1987–1990 | Manchester City | 1 | (0) |
| 1990–1996 | Crewe Alexandra | 147 | (15) |
| 1996–2000 | Leicester City | 170 | (6) |
| 2000–2007 | Celtic | 214 | (3) |
| 2007–2008 | Nottingham Forest | 18 | (0) |
| 2008 | Wycombe Wanderers | 9 | (0) |
| Total | 561 | (25) | |
| International career | |||
| 1990–1994 | Northern Ireland U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 1990 | Northern Ireland U23 | 2 | (0) |
| 1994 | Northern Ireland B | 1 | (0) |
| 1994–2002 | Northern Ireland | 40 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2009–2010 | Celtic B | ||
| 2010–2014 | Celtic | ||
| 2014–2016 | Bolton Wanderers | ||
| 2016–2019 | Hibernian | ||
| 2019–2021 | Celtic | ||
| 2022 | Omonia | ||
| 2024 | Rapid București | ||
| 2025– | Dunfermline Athletic | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Neil Francis Lennon (born 25 June 1971) is a Northern Irish professionalfootballmanager and former player who currently managesScottish Championship clubDunfermline Athletic.
During his playing career he represented English clubsManchester City,Crewe Alexandra andLeicester City. Lennon moved to Celtic in 2000, where he made over 200 appearances and was appointedcaptain in 2005. Before retiring as a player, he returned to England and played forNottingham Forest andWycombe Wanderers. Lennon also earned 40 caps for theNorthern Ireland national team over nine years, scoring two goals.
Lennon was appointedmanager of former club Celtic in March 2010, initially in a caretaker capacity, following the departure ofTony Mowbray.[3][4][5] Lennon enjoyed significant success as Celtic manager, winning three Scottish league championships, two Scottish Cups, qualifying for the group stage of the Champions League twice and the knockout stages once, before leaving the club in May 2014. After an unsuccessful spell back in England withBolton Wanderers, marred by the club's financial problems, Lennon returned to Scottish football in 2016 withHibernian. He led them to promotion back to theScottish Premiership in his first season as head coach, and European qualification in his second season, before leaving Hibernian in January 2019.
Lennon returned to Celtic in February 2019, initially on an interim basis for the rest of the2018–19 season, and guided them to the league and Scottish Cup titles. His contract was renewed and he led Celtic to the Scottish league title again in2019–20. He also led the team to a fourth consecutivedomestic treble by also winning theLeague Cup and theScottish Cup that season. Lennon left Celtic in February 2021, as the club had fallen far behindRangers in the2020–21 Scottish Premiership.
Lennon returned to football a year later, becoming the new manager ofCypriot clubOmonia in March 2022.[6] Less than three months after arriving on the island, he led the club to win theCypriot Cup, their first since 2012. He was sacked in October 2022 due to disappointing results in the domestic league.
Lennon was born inLurgan,County Armagh,[7] and attendedSt Michael's Grammar School in the town.[8] As a youngster he playedGaelic football for the school and was also selected for theArmagh minor team.[9] He grew up supportingCeltic[10] and played football for the local Lurgan Celtic youth team.[11]
Lennon joinedGlenavon, after reaching the final of theMilk Cup with Glenavon Select[11] and scored on hisIrish League debut.[11] He then joinedManchester City as a trainee in 1987. He made one first team appearance during his time in Manchester, a league match on 30 April 1988 away againstBirmingham City,[12] before signing forCrewe Alexandra on a free transfer in August 1990.[13] Lennon made his debut for Crewe on 18 September 1990 against Reading.[14] Despite missing the whole of season 1991–92 due to a back injury,[11] he became an established member of the side and impressed with his intelligent play and consistent performances.[14][15] Lennon's form saw him make his debut forNorthern Ireland in 1994, and thus became the first Crewe Alexandra player in 60 years to win a fullinternational cap.[16][17] In5+1⁄2 years at Crewe, Lennon made 187 appearances for the club and scored 18 goals.[14]
In February 1996, Lennon signed forLeicester City for a fee of £750,000 (£1,800,000 today).[18] In May 1996, Lennon played in the Leicester City side that defeatedCrystal Palace 2–1 atWembley in thePlay-off Final to win promotion to thePremier League.[19] On 16 April 1997, Lennon picked up his first major winner's medal when Leicester won 1–0 against Middlesbrough in a replayed League Cup Final.[20] He played in a further two League Cup Finals during his time atFilbert Street, losing 1-0 toTottenham Hotspur in March 1999[21] but winning 2–1 againstTranmere Rovers in February 2000.[22]
An on-field incident during a league match in 1998 againstNewcastle United between Lennon andAlan Shearer resulted in the England international being charged with misconduct by the FA,[23] Television footage showed Shearer appearing to intentionally kick Lennon in the head following a challenge.[24] The referee of the game took no action against Shearer. Shearer apologised afterwards, but denied that the contact with Lennon was deliberate, and Lennon later gave evidence in Shearer's defence at the FA hearing which subsequently cleared the Newcastle and England striker of all charges.[25]
AfterMartin O'Neill became the new manager ofCeltic in June 2000, he made several attempts to sign Lennon. After months of protracted negotiations with Leicester, on 6 December Lennon joined the club he supported as a boy for a fee of £5.75 million.[26][27] That season saw Lennon pick-up three winner's medals as Celtic won a domestic treble; theScottish Premier League,Scottish Cup andScottish League Cup. The next four seasons at Celtic saw Lennon win a further two league championships and two Scottish Cups. He was also an integral part of the Celtic side that reached theUEFA Cup Final in 2003, losing 3-2 to Porto after extra time.[28]
WhenGordon Strachan took over from O'Neill as manager in the summer of 2005, he made Lennon the new clubcaptain. In January 2006, when Leicester sackedCraig Levein, Lennon was linked with a return to the Midlands side in a player-manager role. He went on record saying he was flattered but wanted to captain Celtic to theScottish Premier League title.[29]
Although he was also linked with a move toCrystal Palace in a player-manager role in the summer of 2006,[30] on 23 June 2006, Celtic announced he had signed a new one-year contract.Sunderland managerRoy Keane made an attempt to sign Lennon prior to the closure of the August 2006 transfer window, but his approach for the player was rejected by Celtic. On 25 April 2007, Lennon announced he would be leaving Celtic, and in his last game for the club on 26 May 2007, he captained the team to victory in theScottish Cup Final againstDunfermline Athletic. Celtic's 1–0 win clinched the League and Cup Double.[31]
Lennon joinedLeague One clubNottingham Forest on a one-year contract with an option for a second year on 12 June 2007.[32] He made his debut captaining the side in a 0–0 draw at home toAFC Bournemouth.[33] He missed a week's training with Forest in November 2007, because of family reasons in Scotland,[34] and lost his place in the team as a consequence.[35]
Lennon joinedWycombe Wanderers ofLeague Two on a free transfer on 31 January 2008, managed by his former Celtic midfield partnerPaul Lambert.[35] He left on 3 April to take up a coaching role with Celtic.[36]
Lennon made his international debut forNorthern Ireland on 11 June 1994 when he come on as a substitute in a friendly againstMexico inMiami.[14] He had to wait nearly a year for his nextcap when he played againstChile in another friendly.[14] Lennon made his first competitive appearance three months later on 3 September 1995 in aEuropean Championship qualifier away againstPortugal. After that, Lennon became a fixture in the international side although Northern Ireland were unsuccessful in their attempts to qualify for the finals of major tournaments.
Lennon decided to retire from international football in August 2002 upon receiving adeath threat before a Northern Ireland match againstCyprus. The threats came after his alleged claim that he wanted to play for a team representing aUnited Ireland.[37] The threat was allegedly made by theLoyalist Volunteer Force, although the organisation later denied this.[38][39]
Lennon was capped 40 times by Northern Ireland,[7] scoring two goals. He alsocaptained the team on several occasions.[citation needed]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | 1994 | 1 | 0 |
| 1995 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 5 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 6 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 40 | 2 | |
Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 October 1996 | Windsor Park,Belfast, Northern Ireland |  Armenia | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1998 World Cup qualification[41] |
| 2 | 18 October 1998 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland |  Moldova | 2–2 | 2–2 | Euro 2000 qualification[42][43] |
Lennon was linked with the vacant manager's job atHibernian after the resignation ofJohn Collins,[44] but the job was given toMixu Paatelainen. Lennon's first coaching appointment was as first team coach with Celtic in 2008.[45] After the appointment ofTony Mowbray as Celtic manager, Lennon took charge of theCeltic reserve team.[46]
Celtic won theJock Stein Friendship Cup match on penalties in his first match.[47] With no reserve league, the team played a series of friendlies in Ireland against the first teams ofCork City,Drogheda United,Shamrock Rovers, andCliftonville, losing only once.[48] They played several times in England againstBlackburn Rovers,Everton,Chelsea,Huddersfield Town,Newcastle UnitedandSunderland.[48]
Following Mowbray's departure from Celtic on 25 March 2010, Lennon was appointedcaretaker manager for the remainder of the2009–10 season.[49] He appointed former teammateJohan Mjällby as hisassistant. Celtic won all of their remaining league games under Lennon, including wins overKilmarnock,[50]Hibernian,[51] andRangers,[52] but lost 2–0 toFirst Division sideRoss County in the semi-final of theScottish Cup.[53] In the aftermath of that defeat, Lennon spoke frankly about the Celtic players and their performances over the course of the season. He said that they had lacked "hunger and desire" and that whether he was installed as manager or not, he would be recommending a significant clear-out of players to the board.[54][55]
Lennon was appointed manager of Celtic on a full-time basis on 9 June 2010.[3][56] He retained Mjällby as his assistant, as well as former Celtic teammateAlan Thompson and formerLeicester City teammateGarry Parker as first-team coaches[57]
He made considerable changes to the Celtic team for the2010–11 season. He soldAiden McGeady for a then Scottish record £9.5 million along with captainStephen McManus[58] and goalkeeperArtur Boruc.[59] 13 other players also left the club, this gave Lennon enough funds to re-build for the new season. Lennon then went on to sign several talented, young, cheap, relatively unknown players, from smaller leagues around the world;[60] strikerGary Hooper arrived from English sideScunthorpe,[61][62] Israeli internationalBeram Kayal was signed,[63][64] and Honduran left-backEmilio Izaguirre also signed on.[60][65] Lennon also signed several experienced players on free transfers.Charlie Mulgrew,[66][67]Joe Ledley,[68][69][70] andDaniel Majstorović[71] all went into the first team. In addition to these Lennon also signed five other players, includingFraser Forster[72][73] on loan fromNewcastle who became first choice 'keeper and helped set a newSPL record for most clean sheets.[74]
On 28 July, in his first competitive game as full-time manager, Celtic lost 3–0 away toBraga in theUEFA Champions League.[75] Celtic won their first eight league matches under Lennon, although controversy erupted in their 2–1 win away atDundee United on 17 October 2010. Celtic were awarded a penalty kick in the second half, but the decision was then rescinded by referee Dougie McDonald. McDonald explained after the match that he over-ruled the penalty award on the advice of the assistant referee. Lennon reluctantly accepted McDonald's explanation, commenting "I suppose you have to put it down to another honest mistake by the referee."[76] It was, however, later revealed that McDonald had lied in his explanation over the penalty award and the referee subsequently resigned several weeks later having received a warning from the Scottish Football Association after failing to properly explain his overturning of the penalty award.[77] Further refereeing controversy ensued the following week when Celtic lost their unbeaten run in the league, losing 3–1 at home against Rangers. The Ibrox club's third goal came as a result of penalty awarded when Rangers'Kirk Broadfoot fell to the ground under a challenge from Celtic'sDaniel Majstorović. Lennon stated afterwards that he felt the referee "got a couple of decisions wrong", and added regarding the penalty, "I'm not sure that he saw it so I don't know why he's given it. He's got a lot of questions to answer".[78] In November, Lennon led Celtic to a 9–0 win overAberdeen, a record win in theScottish Premier League and Aberdeen's heaviest ever defeat.[79] Celtic lost their next game 2–0 away against Hearts, with Celtic'sJoe Ledley sent off for the first time in his career for a "strong" challenge onIan Black. Celtic were later denied a penalty award in the second half, and shortly afterwards Lennon was sent to the stand by the referee. Lennon defended Ledley after the match, describing referee Craig Thomson's decision as "ridiculous".[80][81] Lennon was later given a six match touchline ban for excessive misconduct as a result of the incident in the Hearts' game, although it was later reduced to four matches after appeal.[82] He was given another four match touchline ban by theSFA following an altercation with Rangers assistant managerAlly McCoist after aScottish Cup match in March 2011.[83]
Lennon led Celtic to thefinal of theLeague Cup in March 2011, but they lost 2–1 to Rangers after extra time.[84] They remained in contention for theSPL title until the final day of the 2010–11 season, when they won 4–0 at home toMotherwell, but finished a point behind Rangers.[85] He won his first silverware as a manager when Celtic beat Motherwell 3–0 in theScottish Cup Final a week later.[86]
After rallying from a poor start to season 2011–12, Lennon won the SPL Manager of the Month award for November 2011.[87] The club went on to win the2011–12 Scottish Premier League and Lennon was madeSFWA Manager of the Year.[88] Lennon then guided Celtic through two qualification rounds to reach the group stage of the2012–13 UEFA Champions League, where Celtic beatBarcelona one day after the club's 125th birthday.[89] Celtic qualified out of their group to the knock-out stages of the Champions League.[90] Celtic were comfortably beaten on aggregate byJuventus in the last 16 round, but both Celtic and Lennon were still praised for their overall Champions League campaign.[91][92] On 21 April 2013, Celtic retained thePremier League title. Lennon finished the season by leading Celtic to a League and Cup double with a 3–0 win over Hibernian in the Scottish Cup Final.[93]
Celtic qualified for the group stages of the Champions League again the following season,[94] but had a dismal campaign; winning only once with a 2–1 home win over Ajax,[95] and slumping to a 6–1 rout away against Barcelona in the final group match.[96] They fared little better in the domestic cup competitions; losing 1-0 toMorton in their first game in theScottish League Cup,[97] and losing 2-1 toAberdeen in the fourth round of theScottish Cup.[98] The League campaign was much more impressive through; undefeated until February and losing only twice in all over the course of the season in which they scored 102 goals on the way to their third successive League title.[99] On 22 May 2014, Lennon announced that he was leaving Celtic after four years as manager. "I have parted company with Celtic," he said in a brief statement, adding "The club are in a very strong position and I wish the fans and the club all the very best for the future."[100]
Lennon was announced as the new manager ofBolton Wanderers on 12 October 2014, signing a four-year contract.[101] He won his first game in charge 1–0 againstBirmingham City atSt Andrew's stadium, although he was sent to the stands in the 81st minute after an altercation with referee Mark Haywood caused by Lennon leaving his technical area beforeCraig Davies's penalty was saved.[102] Lennon's first three months in charge saw Bolton rise ten places from bottom of the league up to fourteenth; a spell that included an eight match unbeaten run and four consecutive clean sheets.[103][104] Bolton reached the fourth round of theFA Cup and tookLiverpool to a replay before conceding a last minute goal to lose 2–1 and go out.[105] Things didn't go well for Lennon thereafter, with Bolton winning only one of their last 11 games of the season,[106] andBarry Bannan andNeil Danns being suspended by Lennon for off-field indiscipline.[107] Bolton did however succeed in avoiding relegation, finishing 18th in the league.[108]
Bolton struggled at the start of the following season, and by October 2015 were lying bottom of the table with only one win in their first eleven league games.[109] Lennon maintained confidence in his ability to improve Bolton's fortunes, stating "I didn't realise quite how tough it was going to be but I have got faith in my own ability and I believe we'll turn things around."[109] By the end of November 2015, Bolton had gone on a run of twelve games without a win, and remained bottom of the Championship.[110] At this time, the club announced that their squad had not been paid this month "due to a short-term funding issue" in a statement which came hours before their 1–1 draw with Brentford. In that game, Bolton strikerGary Madine was seen on television mouthing an insult towards Lennon, although the manager played down the incident afterwards, stating "I don't know what he said. He's a Geordie, I can't understand him! It was probably reciprocated!"[111] Bolton continued to struggle and, with the club at the bottom of the table, Lennon left by "mutual consent" on 15 March 2016.[112]
Lennon was appointed head coach ofScottish Championship clubHibernian in June 2016.[113][114] He led the "Hibees" to theScottish Championship title and promotion back to theScottish Premiership (after a three-season absence) in his first season.[115] In September 2017, Lennon and Hibs agreed to extend his contract to the end of the 2019–20 season.[116] Hibs finished fourth in the2017–18 Scottish Premiership and qualified for the Europa League.[117]
On 25 January 2019, Lennon was suspended by Hibernian following an exchange with other club employees.[118] On 30 January, it was announced that he and assistant coachGarry Parker had left the club by mutual consent. A club statement said that "neither Neil nor Garry has been guilty of any misconduct or wrongdoing and no disciplinary process has been commenced. The suspension, put in place to allow an internal review, was lifted by the club as part of this agreement."[119]
On 26 February 2019, Lennon was appointed manager ofCeltic for a second time, taking over until the end of the campaign followingBrendan Rodgers' mid-season departure forLeicester City.[120] Having helped the club achieve an unprecedented third domestic treble ("treble treble"), Lennon was appointed permanent manager for a second time at the end of the season.[121] The 2019–20 season saw very similar success, even following the suspension of professional football as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic. The season was later curtailed and the title awarded to Celtic, who were thirteen points clear at the time of suspension, equalling thenational record of nine consecutive championships set by Celtic in the 1970s and matched byRangers in the 1990s. In addition to the league, they were once again victorious in theLeague andScottish cups, giving the club their fourth consecutive domestic treble.
Following a positive start to the2020–21 campaign, Lennon came under significant criticism after the club underwent a poor run of results that began with a 2–0Old Firm home loss to Rangers on 17 October; this was followed by failure to qualify for theChampions League group stage, elimination from theEuropa League in the group stage and elimination from theLeague Cup in the second round, ending the possibility of a fifth consecutive treble. As calls were made for Lennon to be sacked and fans began to protest outsideCeltic Park following their elimination from the League Cup, the board of directors released a statement on 7 December in which they voiced full support of Lennon and his back room staff.[122] After a brief turnaround in results, Celtic lost the second Old Firm game of the season on 2 January, and calls were once again made for Lennon to be removed from his position as hopes of a historic tenth title faded.
Lennon was also criticised for taking the squad on a training trip to Dubai in January, during which two players contractedCOVID-19;[123] health protocols meant that 13 players and three coaches, including Lennon, had to be quarantined for 10 days after they returned.[123] They consequently missed league matches withHibernian andLivingston, both of which were drawn.[123] There were more fan protests after a home defeat bySt Mirren, the first time thePaisley club had won at Celtic Park since 1990.[124][125] Despite previously stating that he would not resign, Lennon left the club on 24 February 2021 following a 1–0 defeat toRoss County, which left Celtic 18 points behind Rangers in the title race.[126]
On 8 March 2022, Lennon was appointed head coach ofCypriot First Division sideOmonia on a two-and-a-half-year deal, replacing formerRangers defenderHenning Berg.[127] On 25 May, Lennon led the club to their first trophy under his leadership, as they defeatedEthnikos Achna on penalties to win theCypriot Cup; during extra time, Lennon received a red card and was ordered to leave the touchline by the referee.[128]
Ahead of the2022–23 season, Lennon recruited players who he had managed at former clubs, includingAdam Matthews andGary Hooper, whom he had managed atCeltic, andBrandon Barker, whom he had managed atHibernian.[129][130][131] After defeat in theCypriot Super Cup toApollon Limassol,[132] Lennon's Omonia team shocked Belgian sideGent 4–0 on aggregate to qualify for theUEFA Europa League group stage.[133] Despite respectable showings againstManchester United andReal Sociedad in the group stage, Lennon was sacked on 18 October 2022 due to disappointing results in the domestic league, including losses to newly-promoted sidesAkritas Chlorakas andNea Salamis.[134][135]
On 20 May 2024, Lennon was officially presented as the manager ofLiga I clubRapid București, joining the Romanian side on a two-year deal.[136] On 20 August 2024, just after signing twelve players and recording no wins in six matches, Lennon was sacked after three months in charge.[137]
On 21 March 2025, Lennon was appointed manager ofScottish Championship sideDunfermline Athletic, on a short-term deal until the end of the season.[138] After helping the club avoid relegation in the2024–25 season, Lennon signed a two-year contract with Dunfermline in May 2025.[139]
Lennon has spoken about having suffered from depression since 2000.[140]
In January 2011, Lennon reached an out-of-court settlement with theBank of Ireland after a company of which he was adirector defaulted on a €3.7 million loan.[141]
While a young player at Crewe, Lennon was a friend ofAndy Woodward andSteve Walters, both of whom were victims of sexual abuse by coachBarry Bennell. After Bennell's 2018 conviction, Lennon spoke of his regret at not being aware of the abuse at the time.[142]
He is a supporter of his home-town teamLurgan Celtic.[143]
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||||
| Celtic |  SCO | 25 March 2010 | 22 May 2014 | 227 | 159 | 29 | 39 | 070.04 | [144] |
| Bolton Wanderers |  ENG | 12 October 2014 | 15 March 2016 | 79 | 18 | 26 | 35 | 022.78 | [144] |
| Hibernian | SCO | 8 June 2016 | 30 January 2019 | 123 | 59 | 40 | 24 | 047.97 | [144][a] |
| Celtic | SCO | 26 February 2019 | 24 February 2021 | 110 | 77 | 17 | 16 | 070.00 | [144] |
| Omonia |  CYP | 8 March 2022 | 18 October 2022 | 29 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 037.93 | [citation needed] |
| Rapid București |  ROM | 20 May 2024 | 20 August 2024 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 000.00 | [137] |
| Dunfermline Athletic | SCO | 21 March 2025 | present | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 040.91 | |
| Total | 595 | 333 | 130 | 132 | 055.97 | ||||
Crewe Alexandra
Leicester City
Celtic
Nottingham Forest
Individual
Celtic
Hibernian
Omonia
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
