Celtic boss looking forward to summer break

12 May 2014 09:50

Celtic manager Neil Lennon says he is looking forward to a break after a marathon season.

The Hoops ended another successful Scottish Premiership campaign on a winning note on Sunday with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Scottish Cup finalists Dundee United at Parkhead.

The Glasgow giants finally got their hands on the league trophy following the game and Lennon admitted he was savouring the thought of leaving the pressures of the Parkhead hotseat behind for a while.

"What I want is a break. I'm tired. It's been a really long season - a marathon season really - so it will be nice to get a break and reflect on things and take stock and get ready for when we are back in June," Lennon said.

"I would imagine I will be talking to chief executive Peter Lawwell this week to initially get things up and running for next season and then I'll take a holiday of some sort. It'll be welcome."

Lennon became only the fourth Celtic manager to win three league titles in a row when the Hoops clinched the Scottish Premiership back in March.

And the Hoops boss, who featured in the team that won three league titles in a row as a player under Gordon Strachan, said he was proud to have joined his former boss and legendary managers Willie Maley and Jock Stein on an elite list.

"It is very special when you win any sort of trophy. For a long time in the '80s and '90s it was a struggle for us," Lennon added.

"Now we are very productive in terms of picking up trophies and being successful on and off the field.

"I'm very proud to have joined that select band of Celtic managers. I'm one of a few who have actually been privileged enough to do this job and when you are here you want to make the most of it.

"I think we can be very proud of what we have achieved over the last four years."

- Forster deserves England place -

Goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who set a new Scottish shut-out record earlier in the season, looks set to be named in England's squad for the World Cup in Brazil on Monday.

Lennon said watching the 'keeper earn his first cap in a friendly against Chile at Wembley in November last year was one of his highlights of the season.

"I think that is a remarkable achievement for a player playing in Scotland," the Celtic boss said.

"It's difficult to predict anything but I'd like to think he would be in the England squad. I think deserves to be and I think he's good enough.

"I think over the last three seasons his performances have just improved all the time. There is no doubt being in Scotland can be detrimental to him in the eyes of other people but I certainly think he's good enough to make the squad and I hope he does as again that will be a huge feather in his cap and it's great for the club."

The Hoops ended the season on 99 points - 29 points clear of Motherwell in second place - and lost just once, away to Aberdeen in February.

"I'm really proud of the team and that they've finished off the season with a win and got over 100 goals," Lennon added.

"The fact we have only lost one game out of 38 is pretty good. The one blip we had was at Aberdeen when we were down to 10 men but that can happen.

"The consistency has been fantastic and getting over 100 goals and winning the league by such a large margin shows they kept themselves really focussed.

"Now we look to the Champions League qualifiers and making sure we are at the big table again next season."

Celtic will enter the Champions League at the second qualifying round in mid-July, with the first leg due to be played just two days after the World Cup final.

Source: AFP