Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon is set for a surprising return to football management with Cypriot side Omonia Nicosia, the Scottish Sun reports.
Lennon has been out of work for 13 months after losing his gig at Celtic Park back in February 2021. This came after a horrendously ill-fated attempt to secure 10-in-a-row that saw him fall out with supporters over his reluctance to leave when the time was right.
Since then, the Northern Irishman has been putting himself out there for a host of different jobs. He’s evidently been ready to enter management since the summer, but has yet to be chosen for a role.
Now, however, that could be about to change. The Sun reports that Lennon is close to finalising a move to the Cypriot champions, who were previously managed by Henning Berg.
It’s stated by the newspaper that Omonia want Lennon to replace him as they continue to struggle this season. Omonia currently sit 7th in the Cypriot First Division, and are clearly looking in a new direction.
Lennon stated back in November that it was a “mystery” to him how he wasn’t back in work [Belfast Live]. But it looks as though that could be about to change.
Neil Lennon set for surprising next role after Celtic job
This certainly comes as a real shock. Many would’ve tipped Lennon for a more high-profile role than this after his Celtic departure. That’s certainly how it looked like it was heading.
But it became clear very quickly that this wasn’t going to be the case. Lennon has been on a massive job-hunt since the summer and has been regularly snubbed by clubs in Scotland and England.
He even tried to get his name out there by talking up how much he loves Israeli football [Daily Record]. There’s been a hint of desperation about it all. And now, it looks as though his search is finally going to end in Cyprus.
Make no mistake, this isn’t the environment Lennon would’ve wanted after leaving Celtic. He’d have imagined himself operating at a higher level down in England at the very least.
But it says a lot about how his time at Celtic ended that nobody has been willing to touch him. You do wonder how more attractive a proposition Lennon would’ve been had he showed more grace and class during his Parkhead spell.
We’ll never know. But how he fares in Cyprus will certainly be interesting as he looks to start rebuilding his shattered managerial reputation.
In other news, James Forrest sets himself an exciting goal after first Celtic league start since January
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