Upon his return to Paradise, Neil Lennon has praised the squad he has inherited, but emphasised that he and his players cannot and will never take success for granted in their pursuit of more silverware.
Having already secured this season’s League Cup, the Hoops now aim to defend both the Scottish Cup and the Premiership title.
The manager said that he re-joins the Scottish champions more experienced, and is keen to lean on prominent club figures such as John Kennedy to ensure a smooth and swift transitionary period.
“It’s a stellar squad, and since the turn of the year they’ve been magnificent,” said Neil Lennon in an exclusive interview with Celtic TV. “They’ve put in performance after performance, and I thought they were so unlucky in Valencia as well.
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“For 40 minutes, they put in an outstanding European performance that was only spoiled by a really poor refereeing decision. They’re on great form, and I don’t want this disrupting that flow. The players have a job to do and they know what’s at stake.
“Coming in, I obviously know the club, but I’ve been away for four or five years, so I don’t necessarily know the machinations of the way things are right now. I already know some of the players, and obviously want to get to know the ones I’m less familiar with. But a few days, that’s all I need. Maybe the players will need a few days to adjust to me, too, but there won’t be sweeping changes, that’s for sure.”
Having left the club as manager in 2014 after three successful years, Neil Lennon said he’s grateful the club has again showed confidence in him, and he hopes to repay that faith from the outset.
Neil Lennon continued: “When an opportunity like this comes knocking you can’t say no. There are tough games ahead, and it’s the business end of the season. Looking at the mentality of the players, they look really focused. The situation has scope to disrupt them a little, but I’ve got to manage that for them and make sure that they stay fully-focused.”