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Neil Lennon was newly appointed caretaker manager at Celtic,
taking over from Tony Mowbray. Lennon is one of many young managers to
have learned his trade under Martin O'Neill.
Neil played under Martin both at Leicester and Celtic, and he
experienced a fantastic rise to the heaven of football life. Lennon
started his professional life at Man City but was released and had to
learn the hard way by joining lower league team Crewe Alexandria.
What Lennon learned as a player could be vital for his life as a
manager. O'Neill had to start at the bottom as a manager with Grantham
Town, never really experiencing the lowest level of football as a player.
Lennon had to fight for his life as a footballer, coming back after
being axed by a big club and shown the door. He fought his way back and
he knows how to get things right.
Crewe gave Lennon a chance to survive as a professional footballer and
he was eventually signed by Martin O'Neill at Leicester. Lennon and
O'Neill experienced great success at Leicester, winning the League Cup
twice, getting promoted and playing in Europe.
When
O'Neill was appointed manager at Celtic he started his hunt for Lennon.
This was the end of success at Leicester and a great start at Celtic.
Lennon won a number of SPL titles, reached the
UEFA Cup final and had great success.
Neil Lennon has brought in Johan Mjallby as his assistant. Mjallby was
another key player in the Celtic team under Martin O'Neill. Mjallby is
also known for his great relationship with Celtic fans and could be the
ideal partner for Lennon.
Another of O'Neill's pupils Henrik Larsson has just started his career
as a manager/coach at Landskrona Bois. A club currently at level 2 in
Swedish football. Larsson does it the hard way, and for a man with a
former career at Barcelona, Celtic and Manchester United, he has not
taken the easiest path into management.
Simon Grayson, who also played under O'Neill at Leicester, made it great
with Blackpool and hopefully will manage to win promotion with Leeds
this season.
We all know who Martin O'Neill played for, a certain Brian Clough. The
fact that you have worked under good managers, experienced life both at
the top and the bottom of football, makes it easier to navigate as a
manager.
People like Lennon, Grayson and Larsson should have all the abillity in
the world to do well in football management.
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