Neil Lennon has revealed that he was put forward to become manager of Motherwell.
The hoops boss was discussing the pressure that Davie Moyes is under at Manchester United and the benefits of serving an apprenticeship at a lower profile club.
Moyes started out at Preston North End before spending more than a decade at Everton ahead of the move to Old Trafford.
Lennon was dropped in at the deep end in March 2010 when Tony Mowbray was axed but could have been managing in the SPFL the previous year if Motherwell had taken on board the nomination of their departing manager.
“I had a year under Gordon Strachan and a year with the development team so that’s a two-year apprenticeship,” the hoops boss recalled. “When Mark McGhee left Motherwell he put my name up for the job.
“I said I didn’t know if I was ready yet but he said, ‘Do you know what? You never know if you’re ready’. He said if an opportunity came along I should take it. I didn’t speak to Motherwell but I think he recommended me, which was very good of him. This is my time as Celtic manager and I want to make the most of it because you never know when it will end.”
Motherwell overlooked McGhee’s recommendation and moved for Jim Gannon from Stockport County but he was quickly axed with Craig Brown installed at Fir Park.
How Lennon would have fared as manager of Motherwell will remain one of Scottish footballs great unanswered questions, five years on it’s fair to say that the Irishman will have no regrets over being overlooked.
