Swift return surprises Lennon

Boss stunned at how quickly he has taken over

Last updated: 28th July 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Swift return surprises Lennon

Lennon: Surprised at speed of elevation

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Celtic boss Neil Lennon has expressed his surprise at how quickly he has become manager of the Scottish giants.

The former Northern Ireland international was a firm fans' favourite during his seven years at Parkhead as a player.

The 39-year-old was brought back to the club by ex-manager Gordon Strachan as the Bhoys' first-team coach in 2008.

Lennon always wanted to rejoin the club, but even he has been surprised at how quickly he has taken over the hot-seat from Tony Mowbray.

"I always wanted to come back in some capacity but I didn't think it would happen so quickly," explained Lennon.

"I'll be eternally grateful for Gordon's intervention, bringing me back as a coach.

"Obviously, the opportunity came up under difficult circumstances last season (following the sacking of Tony Mowbray) and I just tried to make the most of it.

"You know what the club means to me and I want to take it forward as best I can."

Lennon will make his UEFA Champions League managerial debut against Braga on Wednesday evening in the club's qualifier in Portugal.

Despite being a rookie he is not feeling the jitters, stating he always felt more nervous as a player ahead of big games.

"I actually felt more nervous as a player," he continued. "The nerves haven't kicked in yet - if there are going to be any at all.

"I feel quite calm about things. I'm looking forward to it and looking forward to how the team settle and gel - hopefully gel as quickly as possible."