Terry Butcher has expressed his disappointment over the departure of Neil Lennon.
The Englishman faces Hamilton today in a bid to save Hibs place in the top flight but took time out to discuss the opponent he faced as manager of Inverness Caley Thistle and Hibs.
Lennon’s departure is likely to reduce outside interest in Scottish football with Butcher paying tribute to an adversary he respected
“It’s sad, I would never class Neil as a friend but, as a colleague in the managerial stakes, he has been first class, tremendous,” the Hibs boss stated. “Whenever we’ve been through to Celtic Park, and whenever he’s come through to whatever clubs we’ve been at, he’s been different class, he really has.
“I wish him well, it will be interesting to see where he goes. I’ve always got on really well with him, we’ve had some good battles and he has kicked some water bottles, so have I. We certainly enjoy battling against each other.”
After Thursday’s announcement to leave Celtic it seems clear that Lennon has no other job lined up.
A break from the game, possibly putting together the blockbuster book of all time to cover his time as Celtic manager, is one option that is bound to cross his mind as he awaits the call from another club.
Management opportunities in England are increasingly rare as foreign owners increasingly turn their attention to foreign managers with Spain the favoured location for Manchester City, West Brom and Southampton in recent times.
Managing in Europe is bound to be an option for Lennon but it’s likely that he will resist that in the hope of an offer coming in from England.
CLICK HERE for the iconic images of Neil Lennon as Celtic manager