Kevin Kyle has revealed that he was briefly considered a transfer target for Gordon Strachan in 2008.
The former Sunderland striker was on loan at Hartlepool and caught the eye of Neil Lennon in a clash against Carlisle.
At the time Lennon was first team coach at Celtic with Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink in the final season of his hoops deal and struggling with injuries.
Cillian Sheridan was given a run in the team with Ben Hutchison given a 10 minute outing in the 1-1 Champions League draw against Manchester United.
Kyle revealed his Celtic link during the Keeping The Ball On The Ground podcast with The Sun reporting:
I remember coming up to Glasgow on a Tuesday night for a night out, and I met Neil Lennon in Bar 29.
I says, ‘how you doing?’
And he says: ‘How you doing, big man? ‘We were down watching a game at Carlisle versus Hartlepool, we went down to look at somebody but you stood out but we’ve heard you like a drink and that, and tonight you’ve proved it’.
I was f****** devastated. I said I don’t really drink that much.
He went: ‘Well, we did a wee background check and we heard you like a wee swally and that’.
Kyle was on loan from Coventry at the time and did move to Scotland in January 2009 where he enjoyed some success with Kilmarnock where he scored 16 goals in 40 SPL matches.
In July 2012 he moved to Ibrox but after starting just four matches his contract was mutually terminated 14 months later with his career completed with Ayr United.
