Celtic boss Martin O'Neill: I don't let my granddaughter win Ludo - I want to beat Neil Lennon despite admiration

O’Neill is usually pretty open to all topics of conversations in his press conference, but he was keen to stay clear of this one. He knew both men had jobs to do.

In the end, Celtic and Dunfermline progressed. Scottish football has its end-of-season ball and both men will go to it.

It will be a fitting end to a season stacked with storylines. By that point, Celtic will know if they are going for a single piece of silverware or a double. The Premiership title will have been decided.

Both men are winners. Lennon has more success in the Scottish Cup that O’Neill - eight triumphs over the 74-year-old’s three - and the irony is that the man 20 years his junior was a major reason why the veteran was so successful during his first spell at Celtic between 2000 and 2005.

O’Neill coaxed Lennon north from Leicester City, where their paths had first crossed. The midfielder became such a powerful and influential figure in O’Neill’s Celtic team. Their success could not have happened without him.

“He’s had a major impact for me down the years,” said O’Neill. “Really, a major impact. His input and contribution at Leicester City alone was immense, absolutely immense.

“We got him at a time when I was in at the football club and couldn’t win a game to save my life. So Lennon comes. He could actually have gone to Coventry, who were in the Premier League at the time under Ron Atkinson. But he comes to us, for less money, and that was a big, big boost for us.

Lennon has had some impact as player and manager

“In the play-off final against Crystal Palace, he was incredible. Sometimes I go and have a look and he was genuinely incredible. Considering you think, as he’s a little stout fellow, he might not be able to run. But he could cover the distances and he was great. Then we went up and he played a major part in us winning the trophies and staying in the top ten for four years.

“So I then take him to Celtic. The first game he plays is against Dundee and I remember there was a report in one of the papers about a little rotund fella who couldn’t play. But he’s had some impact on the club since then as a player and as a manager.”

“Look at it, look at his career. It’s incredible. He took a lot of criticism and I don’t think it was really deserved. Celtic were trying to go for ten-in-a-row and there was Covid. From a distance, I felt Covid suited Rangers rather than Celtic at the time, but that’s beside the point. When everything settles down, Lenny’s record both as a player and as a manager is incredible.”

O’Neill does not mean to be disrespectful to Dunfermline, but he admits to some surprise that his fellow Northern Irishman is managing in the second tier of Scottish football. “The short answer to that is yes,” he said. “That’s not to say he’s not enjoying it at Dunfermline. I think he gets on really well with the chairman and the owner of the football club. And that says something for him. He just loves football and he loves managing. More than I did.”

O’Neill did not cut lines of communication with Lennon as his former lieutenant made his way into management. “Yes, we kept in touch,” said O’Neill. “But if I was giving out any advice, it would have been ‘just be you!’ Be yourself, that’s what I would have told him. You don’t copy people. You can learn from people but you don’t copy anyone.

“When I went into management, obviously I had a genius of a manager in Brian Clough. But you don’t try and imitate him. Don’t do it, just be you. With Lennon, I don’t even think I would have had to give him that advice. Of course, when you’re looking around when results aren’t going so great then maybe you’d listen to a friendly voice or something like that. I don’t actually remember calling him too often. But there was no need to, I don’t think.”

The Scottish Cup final is set to be O’Neill’s last game in management. Celtic will be warm favourites to prevail against a Dunfermline side that may also have the small matter of promotion play-offs to content with . After scalping fellow Premiership teams Hibs, Aberdeen and Falkirk, the warnings are there.

“I watched their game on Saturday and he was right when he said beforehand there was energy in his team,” said O’Neill. “They showed that and they showed a real willingness. I was really impressed by them. I hadn’t seen too many of their games but I was really impressed, I thought they did really well. I remember watching the highlights of their game against Aberdeen, too, and after their goalkeeper made a really good save early on, they totally dominated Aberdeen.”

But enough of the platitudes. When it comes down to business next month, O’Neill won’t be going easy on Lennon. “I don’t want him to win it, let me put it that way,” he added. “ I want to beat him. I don’t care whether he’s my brother. I want to win. Listen, if I don’t allow my granddaughter to win at Ludo then I’m not going to let Lennon win a cup final.”

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