Source: Team_Talk
Lennon told he has a Hoops future
After Strachan stepped down as Parkhead manager last week, following the surrender of the Scottish Premier League title to Old Firm rivals Rangers, Hoops coach Lennon worried that he may well be on his way out of the club.
However, a meeting with Lawwell saw Lennon's fears allayed and the former Parkhead captain was even asked for his recommendations for the next Celtic boss.
Lennon, in charge of the Tommy Burns select side which lost 11-4 to Celtic in the charity match at Parkhead, said: "It's always a worry when a manager leaves, you don't know what the new manager is going to think.
"Peter has spoken to me at length and he has told me what my role will be next year.
"We've had the discussion about what the new manager might think but Peter made it clear that the club want me to stay.
"So I will be there to assist the new guy in any way that I can.
"He also asked me for a few recommendations for the job but I won't tell you.
"We are where we were in 2005 and after that we had three and a half great years after that.
"So hopefully we can get the new man in as quickly as we can and get started again."
Before the game Strachan made a surprise appearance to take a bow and was given a warm round of applause by the home fans, who had not always been so gracious during his four years as boss.
Lennon believes the next Celtic manager, whoever it is, will have to have a "hide as thick as a rhino" but has ruled himself out for the time being.
He said: "I was and I wasn't surprised when Gordon left.
"I think the Old Firm nowadays has a shelf life of four years.
"I think he thought long and hard about it and whether we won the league or not, he probably would have went anyway.
"The next manager needs to have a strong personality and a wee bit of charisma.
"And any manager of the Old Firm needs a hide as thick as a rhino.
"My long-term ambition is to manage Celtic but I don't see that in the near future.
"I'm sort of at a crossroad about my future. I'm flattered that Celtic want me to stay but there is a part of me that wants to go and do my own thing.
"But it's a huge job. I haven't got the experience, I still have a lot to learn and I'm not in any great rush
"The club are looking for a new manager and hopefully he will be the manager for a long, long time.
"It's an unsettling time for the players and it might take a wee bit of time
"Football fans are the most impatient people in the world, as are footballers, so we just ask for a wee bit of patience."
