Neil Lennons Magic Celtic Moments

He’s a Lurgan Class Hero

Okay, it looks as though today will finally be the day that Neil Lennon is appointed Celtic manager.

Apart from the 8 victrious league games and the one horrific cup game from last season, Lenny has no top level managerial experience but he knows what it takes to be a winner at Celtic Park.

Join us as we take a look back at 5 games which encapsulates how Neil Lennon was a winner is his playing days at Celtic Park. Maybe you think we missed some big days out – we’ve added a few other suggestions at the end but feel free to tell us your suggestions.

Dundee 1 v Celtic 2
Although still sitting pretty at the top of the SPL, Celtic had shown one or two wobbles which convinced Martin O’Neill he needed to strengthen the spine of the Parkhead club. Returning to his former club Leicester City, Celtic eventually paid the asking fee for defensive midfielder Neil Lennon with the Northern Irish international making his debut at Dens Park.

Celtic took the lead but were pegged back and in injury time, the score was tied at 1-1. Celtic had one last chances and a corner was swung to the back post, a few bounces, a bobble and Didier Agathe popped up to chest the ball home to keep the O’Neill bandwagon rolling.

It may have just been three points and Lennon had a quiet debut but the ability to grind out a result on a tricky Sunday night proved that the Celtic title challenge was definitely on.

Rangers 0 v Celtic 3
Celtic were already the champions but it had been a long time since they won at Ibrox. Their last trip had been a painful 5-1 defeat so Celtic needed to take something from Ibrox to prove they had no fear at the home of their rivals.
Rangers had the best of the first half but early on the second half, Celtic were awarded a free-kick just inside the Rangers half.

Neil Lennon stood over the ball and waited and waited and waited. The boos from the Rangers ends of the stadium were reaching crescendo when the man from the North of Ireland lazily rolled it into the path of Henrik Larsson who played in Lubo Moravcik who swept Celtic into the lead.

Celtic added another two goals, Moravcik embarrassing Ricksen with a delightful turn and then Larsson stroked home his 50th goal of the season as Celtic stamped their mark all over their rivals as they went onto clinch the treble at the end of O’Neill and Lennon’s first campaign.

Boavista 0 v Celtic 1
Forget the game of football, it was a largely turgid and regrettable 90 minutes between a team who didn’t want any goals scored and a team who just needed the one. In the end, a fortunate break and bobble split the teams as Henrik Larsson tried to slip the ball into the path of John Hartson only to find returning to him in space at the edge of the box.

The Boavista goalkeeper was no Jamie Theakston and the King of Kings stabbed the ball into the back of the net to give Celtic the advantage, one which they held on to until the full-time whistle.

From there on in, the celebrations of the men in the gold and green away kit were unrivalled and Lennon was in the centre of everything.

Celtic 1 v Rangers 0
Celtic had won the previous six Celtic v Rangers matches but a seventh looked to be sliding out of range. Just as many fans felt it would be scoreless, the ball broke to Alan Thompson at the edge of the box and the English midfielder didn’t need to be asked twice to strike.

Thompson had punished Rangers on numerous occasions but this strike, weaving its way past serial door-chapper Fernando Ricksen and bamboozling Stefan Klos on the line, was possibly his most famous and it gave Celtic a 1-0 win. The home crowd erupted and Thompson set off on a celebratory run, eventually catching up with Lennon and jumping on his back.

At full-time, Lennon walked off the pitch smoking an imaginary cigar, signifying the ease with which Celtic had notched 7 wins in a row over their bitter rivals.

Kilmarnock 1 v Celtic 2
Celtic had been the only team in town all season but after the clubs exit from the Champions League, some stuttering form took over. Rugby Park was the first opportunity to clinch the title but it looked as though Celtic may stumble.

Tied at 1-1 and deep into injury time, Derek Riordan ballooned the ball over the ball and it seemed as though the champagne would have to stay on ice.

Jiri Jarosik engineered one final chance by winning a free-kick wide on the right hand side of Kilmarnock’s box. Japanese star Shunsuke Nakamura stepped up and whipped the ball from right to left and into the bottom corner of Alan Combe’s net.

All three points and the SPL title were going to Parkhead and Neil Lennon was taking his fifth title in seven years. At the end of the game, Lennon’s post match celebrations left no one in any doubt how much the success meant to him.

So that’s just 5 moments and no doubt many people will have others:

The 2-0 win at Anfield
Lennon scoring in an 8-1 triumph at East End Park
Lennon scoring in the 4-3 friendly win against Manchester United
Being subbed to allow Gary Caldwell to come on and positively change the game in the 1-0 Scottish Cup final over Dunfermline.

Anyone got any other favourite Lenny moments?

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