Hibs chief Leeann Dempster insists she didn’t meddle in team matters during Neil Lennon’s time as boss

Leeann Dempster last night hit back at claims she meddled in team affairs during Neil Lennon’s reign as Hibs boss.

It was reported that Lennon was unhappy with interference from the Easter Road chief executive in the run-up to his shock departure as manager.

Dempster admits she has found the last few weeks tough.

But the Hibs chief insists she does not see herself as a meddler.

“I think I’ve had a good relationship with everybody that I’ve worked with,” said Dempster.

“I’ve been categorised, or potentially painted as, an interferer recently.

“I understand why folk might think or say that. I deny it, I don’t think it’s true.

“We bring people in here who I’d hope can excel at the work they do.

“When you move from one head coach to another, sometimes they don’t move on to a different club, so it can be difficult.

“I’ve been categorised as an interferer, I don’t recognise that, to be honest, but that’s fine.

“Is it frustrating? Not particularly. Have I enjoyed the last couple of weeks. Not desperately!

“I’m sure there are other people who haven’t enjoyed the last couple of weeks either, but you take decisions in life as they come towards you, whether it be that minute, that hour or that week and, unfortunately, we don’t live our life in rewind.

“We have to go with what happens at that particular time.

“You take decisions and you have to live with those decisions and sometimes you can reflect and see you might have wanted to approach it in a different way or you might have been happy to do it again, but that’s just life.”

Dempster refused to be drawn on the specifics of Lennon’s departure.

However, having concluded the recruitment process for his successor, Paul Heckingbottom, she was happy to set a target for the remainder of the season.

“You’ve got to back yourself and your judgment, the people that you work with,” she said.

“We have to back ourselves and the decision we’ve made now.

“We are moving into almost a new phase of the club, it feels like that, a transition and a new opportunity for us.

“The challenge is to get into the top six.”