‘We were at each other’ – Ex-striker recalls fiery 2017 bust-up with Celtic hero Neil Lennon

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You wouldn’t want to be in Neil Lennon’s bad books as a player.

The Celtic hero is known for his excellent man management style and has the winners’ medals to prove his credentials as a manager at Parkhead and other clubs.

Lennon does have an edge to him, though, as plenty of opponents have witnessed down the years with a temper to boot.

Rivals including Ally McCoist have been on the receiving end and even teammates have copped it including, infamously, Aiden McGeady’s ding-dong with the Irishman.

It is a side of Lennon that makes him who he is. And for former Hibs striker Brian Graham, he recalled a moment he saw the furious side of his then-manager during a 1-1 draw in the Championship.

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Brian Graham and Celtic hero Neil Lennon had a row at Hibs

Lennon was Easter Road gaffer at the time and watched on in frustration as Graham missed a chance for his side before they conceded a penalty at the other end.

It was unacceptable in the boss’ mind and he let Graham know it.

“I remember one game we were playing Dunfermline away and I had a chance to make it 2-0 and missed it. At the other end Lewis Stevenson trips someone up for a penalty and we draw 1-1,” Graham told the Scottish Sun.

“He comes in and starts going through me for not scoring the goal. I remember thinking, ‘I never gave away the penalty, what are you shouting at me for?’ I had a bit of back and forth with him.

“The two of us were at each other in the changing room in front of the players.”

What Graham said about Neil Lennon’s man management

Graham admits he took the weekend to process the argument he had with his manager before assistant Garry Parker urged him to apologise.

But Lenny wasn’t too keen to rehash the situation.

Still, eventually the two made up and Graham came away from the meeting ready to “run through a brick wall” for the club and his boss – proving Lennon’s man management success once again.

“The Monday morning Garry Parker says, ‘You better go speak to the manager and apologise’. So I went to go in his office and he… swore at me, right? Get. But I said I’m coming in,” Graham chuckled.

“I went in and he just changes, he didn’t mind I had a bit of passion and he gets me back onside. I walked out feeling 10 feet tall. Walk out that office I thought I’d run through a brick wall for this guy. His man management was unbelievable, he was brilliant. Really inspired us that year to go and win the league.

“If it wasn’t for him I don’t think we’d have done it.”