Former Celtic keeper Allen McKnight watched with dismay as Neil Lennon’s life was turned upside down for managing Celtic.
McKnight left Celtic 21 years ago for West Ham but keeps tabs on his old club and was in action on Sunday for the Celtic Masters team at Braehead.
As a fellow Irishman McKnight knows the pressures that Lennon lives under as events on and off the park escalated last season.
Lennon’s diary of last season is sure to be a best seller with those within the game sympathising with the intensity that the Celtic boss works under.
“It’s unfortunate the role that he is in,” McKnight explained. “If he was someone like Owen Coyle on the bench at Bolton Wanderers and he had a bit of a barney with the opposition manager there would be nothing said about it.
“But because he got involved with Ally McCoist and they’ve been involved on opposite sides all their careers people want to make more of it than there actually was.
“You have to realise that those guys are very intense on the sidelines and it probably looked much worse than it was.”
McKnight added: “I think that Neil has did a fantastic job with the Celtic supporters. He’s got them rallying behind the club and there was a great atmosphere around the place at the end of the season.
“Neil was a good player, a general in the middle of the park but I didn’t think that he’d make the step into management- I didn’t think it would be his cup of tea but he’s did really well.
“When I watch the Celtic-Rangers games now I sometimes have to scratch my head to remember that I did play in those games but I have a great affiliation for Celtic, I look out for the scores every weekend and hope that they’ll be sitting above Rangers.”
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Good man Allan. Sometimes it takes an individual to point out the bleeding obvious for anyone to take note.
Neil Lennon would be the same passionate person kicking bottles and arguing with officials if he was manager of Stevenage Borough!
And there would hardly be a thing said about it.
Become manager of Celtic and it’s a different matter entirely.
Sorry ALLEN. I can at least have the good grace to spell the chap’s name right!