Neil Lennon facts for kids
Lennon at Celtic Park in 2006
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Neil Francis Lennon | ||
| Date of birth | 25 June 1971 | ||
| Place of birth | Lurgan, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Dunfermline Athletic (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Lurgan Celtic | |||
| 1986–1987 | Glenavon | ||
| 1987–1989 | Manchester City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1986–1987 | Glenavon | 2 | (1) |
| 1987–1990 | Manchester City | 1 | (0) |
| 1990–1996 | Crewe Alexandra | 147 | (15) |
| 1996–2000 | Leicester City | 170 | (6) |
| 2000–2007 | Celtic | 214 | (3) |
| 2007–2008 | Nottingham Forest | 18 | (0) |
| 2008 | Wycombe Wanderers | 9 | (0) |
| Total | 561 | (25) | |
| International career | |||
| 1990–1994 | Northern Ireland U21 | 2 | (0) |
| 1990 | Northern Ireland U23 | 2 | (0) |
| 1994 | Northern Ireland B | 1 | (0) |
| 1994–2002 | Northern Ireland | 40 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2008–2009 | Celtic (assistant) | ||
| 2009–2010 | Celtic B | ||
| 2010–2014 | Celtic | ||
| 2014–2016 | Bolton Wanderers | ||
| 2016–2019 | Hibernian | ||
| 2019–2021 | Celtic | ||
| 2022 | Omonia | ||
| 2024 | Rapid București | ||
| 2025– | Dunfermline Athletic | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Neil Francis Lennon was born on June 25, 1971. He is a football manager and a former player from Northern Ireland. He played as a midfielder. Currently, he manages Scottish Championship club Dunfermline Athletic.
During his playing career, Neil Lennon played for English clubs like Manchester City, Crewe Alexandra, and Leicester City. In 2000, he joined Celtic, where he played over 200 games. He became the team's captain in 2005. Before he stopped playing, he went back to England and played for Nottingham Forest and Wycombe Wanderers. Lennon also played 40 games for the Northern Ireland national team over nine years, scoring two goals.
Lennon became the manager of his old club, Celtic, in March 2010. He first took over as a temporary manager after Tony Mowbray left. Neil Lennon had a lot of success as Celtic's manager. He won three Scottish league championships and two Scottish Cups. His teams also reached the group stage of the Champions League twice. He left the club in May 2014. After a difficult time managing Bolton Wanderers in England, Lennon returned to Scottish football in 2016 with Hibernian. He helped them get promoted back to the Scottish Premiership in his first season. He also led them to qualify for European games in his second season. He left Hibernian in January 2019.
Lennon came back to Celtic in February 2019, first as a temporary manager for the rest of the 2018–19 season. He led them to win the league and the Scottish Cup. His contract was then made permanent. He led Celtic to win the Scottish league title again in 2019–20. He also helped the team win a fourth straight domestic treble. This means they won the league, the League Cup, and the Scottish Cup in the same season. Lennon left Celtic in February 2021. At that time, the club was far behind Rangers in the 2020–21 Scottish Premiership title race.
Lennon returned to football a year later. He became the new manager of Cypriot club Omonia in March 2022. Less than three months after joining, he led the club to win the Cypriot Cup. This was their first cup win since 2012. He was let go in October 2022 because of disappointing results in the local league.
Contents
Early Life and Football Beginnings
Neil Lennon was born in Lurgan, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. He went to St Michael's Grammar School in his hometown. As a young person, he played Gaelic football for his school. He was also chosen to play for the Armagh minor team. He grew up supporting Celtic and played football for the local Lurgan Celtic youth team.
Club Playing Career
Starting Out in Football
Lennon joined Glenavon after reaching the final of the Milk Cup with Glenavon Select. He scored a goal in his very first game in the Irish League. In 1987, he joined Manchester City as a young player in training. He played one game for the first team there on April 30, 1988, against Birmingham City.
In August 1990, he moved to Crewe Alexandra for free. Lennon played his first game for Crewe on September 18, 1990, against Reading. Even though he missed the entire 1991–92 season due to a back injury, he became an important player for the team. He was known for his smart play and consistent performance. Because of his good form, Lennon played his first game for Northern Ireland in 1994. He was the first Crewe Alexandra player in 60 years to play for his country. During his five and a half years at Crewe, Lennon played 187 games and scored 18 goals.
Time at Leicester City
In February 1996, Lennon joined Leicester City for £750,000. In May 1996, Lennon played for Leicester City when they beat Crystal Palace 2–1 at Wembley. This win helped them get promoted to the Premier League. On April 16, 1997, Lennon won his first major medal when Leicester beat Middlesbrough 1–0 in a replayed League Cup Final. He also played in two more League Cup Finals while at Leicester. They lost 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in March 1999. But they won 2–1 against Tranmere Rovers in February 2000.
Playing for Celtic
After Martin O'Neill became the new manager of Celtic in June 2000, he tried many times to sign Lennon. After many talks with Leicester, Lennon joined the club he supported as a boy on December 6 for £5.75 million. That season, Lennon won three medals as Celtic won a domestic treble. This means they won the Scottish Premier League, Scottish Cup, and Scottish League Cup. Over the next four seasons at Celtic, Lennon won two more league championships and two Scottish Cups. He was also a key part of the Celtic team that reached the UEFA Cup Final in 2003. They lost 3-2 to Porto after extra time.
When Gordon Strachan took over as manager from O'Neill in 2005, he made Lennon the new club captain. On April 25, 2007, Lennon said he would be leaving Celtic. In his last game for the club on May 26, 2007, he was the captain. They won the Scottish Cup Final against Dunfermline Athletic. Celtic's 1–0 win meant they won both the League and Cup.
Later Playing Career
Lennon joined League One club Nottingham Forest on June 12, 2007. He signed a one-year contract. He played his first game as captain in a 0–0 draw against AFC Bournemouth.
Lennon joined Wycombe Wanderers of League Two on January 31, 2008. The team was managed by his former Celtic teammate Paul Lambert. He left on April 3 to take a coaching job with Celtic.
International Career for Northern Ireland
Lennon played his first international game for Northern Ireland on June 11, 1994. He came on as a substitute in a friendly game against Mexico in Miami. He played his first competitive game three months later. This was on September 3, 1995, in a European Championship qualifier against Portugal. After that, Lennon became a regular player for the international team.
Lennon decided to stop playing international football in August 2002. This was after he received serious threats before a Northern Ireland match against Cyprus.
Lennon played 40 games for Northern Ireland and scored two goals. He also served as the team's captain several times.
International Game Statistics
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | 1994 | 1 | 0 |
| 1995 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 5 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 6 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 40 | 2 | |
International Goals Scored
Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 October 1996 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland |  Armenia |
1–0 | 1–1 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 18 October 1998 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland |  Moldova |
2–2 | 2–2 | Euro 2000 qualification |
Managerial Career Highlights
Lennon's first coaching job was as a first team coach with Celtic in 2008. After Tony Mowbray became Celtic manager, Lennon took charge of the Celtic reserve team.
Managing Celtic (First Time)
After Mowbray left Celtic on March 25, 2010, Lennon became the temporary manager for the rest of the 2009–10 season. He chose his former teammate Johan Mjällby as his assistant. Celtic won all their remaining league games under Lennon. However, they lost 2–0 to First Division team Ross County in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup.
Lennon was made the full-time manager of Celtic on June 9, 2010. He kept Mjällby as his assistant. He also brought in former Celtic teammate Alan Thompson and former Leicester City teammate Garry Parker as coaches. He made many changes to the Celtic team for the 2010–11 season. He sold some players and used the money to sign new, talented, and young players. These included striker Gary Hooper, Israeli international Beram Kayal, and Honduran left-back Emilio Izaguirre. Lennon also signed experienced players for free, like Charlie Mulgrew, Joe Ledley, and Daniel Majstorović. He also signed Fraser Forster on loan, who became the main goalkeeper.
On July 28, in his first official game as full-time manager, Celtic lost 3–0 to Braga in the UEFA Champions League. Celtic won their first eight league games under Lennon. In November, Lennon led Celtic to a huge 9–0 win over Aberdeen. This was a record win in the Scottish Premier League.
Lennon led Celtic to the final of the League Cup in March 2011. They lost 2–1 to Rangers after extra time. They were still in the race for the SPL title until the very last day of the season. They won 4–0 against Motherwell, but finished one point behind Rangers. He won his first trophy as a manager when Celtic beat Motherwell 3–0 in the Scottish Cup Final a week later.
After a tough start to the 2011–12 season, Lennon won the SPL Manager of the Month award for November 2011. The club went on to win the 2011–12 Scottish Premier League title. Lennon was named SFWA Manager of the Year. Lennon then guided Celtic through two qualifying rounds to reach the group stage of the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League. Celtic famously beat Barcelona one day after the club's 125th birthday. Celtic moved past their group into the knockout stages of the Champions League. On April 21, 2013, Celtic won the Premier League title again. Lennon ended the season by leading Celtic to win both the League and Cup. They beat Hibernian 3–0 in the Scottish Cup Final.
Celtic qualified for the Champions League group stages again the next season. However, they had a difficult campaign, winning only once. They lost 6–1 to Barcelona in their final group match. They did not do well in the domestic cup competitions either. The league campaign was much better. They were undefeated until February and lost only twice all season. They scored 102 goals on their way to their third straight League title. On May 22, 2014, Lennon announced he was leaving Celtic after four years as manager.
Managing Bolton Wanderers
Lennon was announced as the new manager of Bolton Wanderers on October 12, 2014. He signed a four-year contract. He won his first game in charge 1–0 against Birmingham City. In Lennon's first three months, Bolton moved up ten places from the bottom of the league. This included an eight-game unbeaten run. Bolton reached the fourth round of the FA Cup. They played Liverpool and forced a replay, but lost 2–1 after a last-minute goal. Things became difficult for Lennon after that. Bolton won only one of their last 11 games that season. Bolton managed to avoid being relegated, finishing 18th in the league.
Bolton struggled at the start of the next season. By October 2015, they were at the bottom of the table. They had only one win in their first eleven league games. Bolton continued to struggle. With the club at the bottom of the table, Lennon left by "mutual consent" on March 15, 2016.
Managing Hibernian
Lennon was appointed head coach of Scottish Championship club Hibernian in June 2016. He led the "Hibees" to win the Scottish Championship title. This meant they were promoted back to the Scottish Premiership after three seasons away. In September 2017, Lennon and Hibs agreed to extend his contract until the end of the 2019–20 season. Hibs finished fourth in the 2017–18 Scottish Premiership and qualified for the Europa League.
On January 25, 2019, Lennon was suspended by Hibernian after an argument with other club employees. On January 30, it was announced that he and assistant coach Garry Parker had left the club by agreement.
Return to Celtic (Second Time)
On February 26, 2019, Lennon was appointed manager of Celtic for a second time. He took over until the end of the season after Brendan Rodgers left for Leicester City. He helped the club achieve a special third domestic treble. Lennon was then made the permanent manager for a second time. The 2019–20 season saw similar success. The season was cut short, but Celtic was awarded the title. They were thirteen points clear at the time. This equaled the national record of nine straight championships. They also won the League and Scottish cups again. This gave the club their fourth straight domestic treble.
After a good start to the 2020–21 campaign, Lennon faced a lot of criticism. The club had a poor run of results. This started with a 2–0 loss to Rangers on October 17. They then failed to qualify for the Champions League group stage. They were also knocked out of the Europa League and the League Cup. This ended their chance of a fifth straight treble. Lennon left the club on February 24, 2021. This was after a 1–0 defeat to Ross County. Celtic was then 18 points behind Rangers in the title race.
Managing Omonia in Cyprus
On March 8, 2022, Lennon was appointed head coach of Cypriot First Division team Omonia. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal. On May 25, Lennon led the club to win their first trophy under him. They beat Ethnikos Achna on penalties to win the Cypriot Cup.
Before the 2022–23 season, Lennon brought in players he had managed before. These included Adam Matthews and Gary Hooper from Celtic, and Brandon Barker from Hibernian. Lennon's Omonia team surprised Belgian side Gent. They won 4–0 overall to qualify for the UEFA Europa League group stage. Despite good performances against Manchester United and Real Sociedad in the group stage, Lennon was let go on October 18, 2022. This was due to disappointing results in the local league.
Managing Rapid București
On May 20, 2024, Lennon was officially introduced as the manager of Liga I club Rapid București. He joined the Romanian team on a two-year deal. On August 20, 2024, Lennon was let go after three months in charge. This happened after signing twelve players and having no wins in six matches.
Managing Dunfermline Athletic
On March 21, 2025, Lennon was appointed manager of Scottish Championship team Dunfermline Athletic. He signed a short-term deal until the end of the season. After helping the club avoid being relegated in the 2024–25 season, Lennon signed a two-year contract with Dunfermline in May 2025.
Personal Life
Lennon has shared that he has experienced depression since 2000. He is a supporter of his hometown team Lurgan Celtic.
Managerial Statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||||
| Celtic |  Scotland |
25 March 2010 | 22 May 2014 | 227 | 159 | 29 | 39 | 70.04 | |
| Bolton Wanderers |  England |
12 October 2014 | 15 March 2016 | 79 | 18 | 26 | 35 | 22.78 | |
| Hibernian | Scotland |
8 June 2016 | 30 January 2019 | 123 | 59 | 40 | 24 | 47.97 | |
| Celtic | Scotland |
26 February 2019 | 24 February 2021 | 110 | 77 | 17 | 16 | 70.00 | |
| Omonia |  Cyprus |
8 March 2022 | 18 October 2022 | 29 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 37.93 | |
| Rapid București |  Romania |
20 May 2024 | 20 August 2024 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0.00 | |
| Dunfermline Athletic | Scotland |
March 2025 | present | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 45.45 | |
| Total | 584 | 329 | 127 | 128 | 56.34 | ||||
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
Crewe Alexandra
- Football League Third Division promotion: 1993–94
Leicester City
- Football League Cup: 1996–97, 1999–2000; runner-up: 1998–99
- Football League First Division play-offs: 1996
Celtic
- Scottish Premier League: 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07
- Scottish Cup: 2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2006–07
- Scottish League Cup: 2000–01, 2005–06
- UEFA Cup runner-up: 2002–03
Nottingham Forest
- Football League One promotion: 2007–08
Individual Player Awards
- PFA Team of the Year: 1993–94 Third Division, 1994–95 Second Division, 1995–96 Second Division
- Northern Ireland International Personality of the Year: 2001
- Celtic FC Player of the Year: 2003–04, 2005–06
- SPL Player of the Month: March 2001, March 2004, April 2007
As a Manager
Celtic
- Scottish Premier League / Premiership: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2018–19, 2019–20
- Scottish Cup: 2010–11, 2012–13, 2018–19, 2019–20
- Scottish League Cup: 2019–20
Hibernian
- Scottish Championship: 2016–17
Omonia
- Cypriot Cup: 2021–22
Individual Manager Awards
- SPL Manager of the Year: 2011–12
- SFWA Manager of the Year: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2019–20
- Sunday Mail Sports Awards Editors' Choice: 2012
- SPL Manager of the Month: September 2010, January 2011, April 2011, November 2011, December 2011, February 2012, April 2012, December 2012
- SPFL Premiership Manager of the Month: December 2013, January 2014, October 2017
- SPFL Championship Manager of the Month: August 2016, January 2017
See also
In Spanish: Neil Lennon para niños
