Celtic legend Neil Lennon says he’s “very happy” at Dunfermline, but “doesn’t want to be in the Championship for long.”
The two-time Parkhead boss has been in situ at the Fife club for just over a year, surprising many with his decision to drop back down to the second tier after spells managing in Cyprus and Romania.
He has recently been named in the running for the St Mirren job, after the departure of Stephen Robinson.
But Lennon would much rather enter the Premiership with his current club, with whom he also has his eyes on an unlikely cup success.
I want the next manager of Celtic to be…
Celtic legend Neil Lennon ‘to see things out’ at Dunfermline
Asked about the St Mirren speculation on Not Another Football Podcast, Lennon said: “It’s very nice. I am happy where I am at the minute.
“We are in two competitions still and that is great for us. I want to see things out.
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“Promotion? Do I think I’ll do it this year? Probably not. It’s a big ask but we’ll give it a go. Could we make the Cup final? Possibly.
“So there’s a lot to play for still. I’m not going to be distracted by speculation. It’s nice to be involved in the conversation.
“Ultimately, I don’t want to be managing in the Championship too long, I want to be in the [Premiership].
“I do think if I can get Dunfermline up we will have a right good team in the [Premiership] because I think they can handle it.”
Lennon’s Pars face local rivals Falkirk in a tasty Scottish Cup semi-final next month, with St Mirren facing the Hoops in the other.
The Irishman has won three Scottish Cups as a manager and four as a player. As a club, Dunfermline haven’t won it in 58 years, though they were beaten twice by Celtic in the final in the 2000s.
Neil Lennon’s managerial achievements away from Celtic
If the 54-year-old can deliver an unlikely triumph in the competition, he will follow in the footsteps of a certain Jock Stein by winning it in charge of both clubs.
Lennon has never lost a cup final in his career as a manager. In charge of Hibs, he reached the semi-final in 2017, with the club still in the Championship.
He reached the League Cup semis the following year. In charge of Omonia Nicosia, he won the 2022 Cypriot Cup in a penalty shootout against Ethnikos Achna.
With the Pars at the moment, he is in fourth place in the Scottish second tier, the last of the spots for the end-of-season play-offs.
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