Neil Lennon won’t rule out a return to Celtic

“Would I ever rule out returning as Celtic manager further down the line? Definitely not.”

It was the morning after Neil Lennon had made the biggest decision of his life.

And for the first time in four years, the Irishman had woken up without being the manager of Celtic.

After a year of soul-searching, the 42-year-old had finally bitten the bullet and quit his Parkhead post.

Lennon is honest enough to admit only time will tell whether or not he has made the right decision.

But he is equally adamant he would one day love to return to Celtic Park for another spell as a manager.

“You never know what the future holds and what is around the corner,” he told me last night. “But I’ve left the club in the way I always hoped I would, and that is hugely important to me.

“I didn’t want to leave Celtic by being sacked or after losing face with the supporters.

“I’m obviously moving because I’m seeking a fresh challenge and maybe a change in manager will benefit Celtic as well, which is always important.

“Would I ever rule out returning as Celtic manager further down the line? Definitely not.

“I consider myself extremely privileged to have been given the opportunity to manage the team I grew up supporting, and I will now revert back to a fan.

“If the opportunity was to arise in the future where I was lucky enough to be offered the opportunity to become manager for a second time, then I’d definitely be interested.

“In the meantime, I just hope whoever replaces me at Celtic can go on to enjoy a lot of success.”

Lennon is now out of work for the first time in his life but he has no regrets over his call which has rocked British football.

“I woke up on Friday morning and just knew I’d made the right decision,” said Lennon. “It just felt right.

“Listen, I might feel differently in a few weeks. I might return from my holiday and think: ‘What the hell have I done!’

“But I honestly don’t think that will be the case. I’ve been thinking about my future for quite some time. In fact, it actually crossed my mind to leave last summer.

“We’d just enjoyed an incredible season by qualifying for the knock-out stage of the Champions League, had beaten Barcelona at Celtic Park, and won the title and the Scottish Cup.

“That was definitely the best of my four seasons as Celtic manager.

“It was always in my mind to make sure I left Celtic on a high, and when things were going well, I did give it a bit of consideration.

“Ultimately, my decision to stay on was vindicated because we managed to reach the group stage of the Champions League again, and also managed to win the Premier League title in convincing fashion.”

Lennon knows life will never be the same without the attention, much of it unwanted, the Celtic post brings.

He’s already moved away from Glasgow once when he called time on his seven-year playing career with the Hoops to sign for Championship side Nottingham Forest.

That lasted only six months.

He was soon back with his boyhood team after Gordon Strachan appointed him as part of his backroom staff before he eventually replaced Tony Mowbray at the helm.

“When you look back at it, Celtic have been such a massive part of my life,” said Lennon.

“To have for them, won trophies and become the manager that’s something I will always be hugely proud of.

“I actually feel quite emotional when I look back through everything, and recall such special moments. But in football you can’t afford to stand still.

“When I left Celtic as a player and went down to play for Forest, it was a major culture shock.

“After spending so long at the same club and living in the Glasgow goldfish bowl, it was night and day in comparison to what I was used to.

“But I think I will be more prepared this time around. I might be offered a job where the lifestyle is completely different. In fact, it will be different.

“People put two and two together when they heard I was leaving but walking straight into another job.

“That’s not the case. I’m currently out of work and I’m going to enjoy a nice break with the family.

“I’ll then go out to Brazil to watch some of the World Cup and take things from there.”