NEIL Lennon told a court he had been left "very disturbed" after finding out he had been the target of suspect packages.

Giving evidence at the trial of two men accused of plotting to kill him and high-profile Celtic supporters in an explosives plot, the club's manager told the High Court in Glasgow he had been made aware of the packages by police.

He said: "I was very disturbed. I have a family. I have a young son. I have a partner, a mother and a father. I'm a footballing man. I find it difficult to comprehend the lengths that some people will go to."

Trevor Muirhead, 43, from Kilwinning, and Neil McKenzie, 42, from Saltcoats, both North Ayrshire, are accused of conspiring to murder Mr Lennon, former MSP Trish Godman, the late Paul McBride, QC, and members of the Irish Republican group Cairde Na hEireann in Glasgow by sending improvised explosive devices to them. They deny all the charges.

Mr Lennon told the trial he had previously been sent bullets through the post and had decided to stop playing for Northern Ireland after receiving a death threat.

He added he had experienced sectarianism as a player and a manager "nearly every week".

He said Celtic "abhor" sectarianism and "try to do everything they can" to stop it.

The 40-year-old, who grew up in Lurgan, Northern Ireland, also told the court some Celtic fans tended to side with Irish Republicanism, but said he could not speak for the majority of fans.

Asked which side some Rangers fans might affiliate themselves with, Mr Lennon told Advocate Depute Tim Niven-Smith: "I can't speak for Rangers supporters. You'll have to ask them yourself.

"I can't speak for the majority of Celtic fans either. I don't understand the relevance of your questions. I'm not a politician."

Mr Lennon was asked about a "tussle" he had with now Rangers manager Ally McCoist at a game. Mr Lennon replied: "I wouldn't say it was a tussle, an altercation of some sort."

The court heard the "altercation" had resulted in both managers being banned from the touchline for a certain number of games.

Mr McCoist appealed against his punishment and Mr Lennon said that, to the best of his knowledge, Mr McCoist had been successful.

Mr Lennon's ban ran concurrently with another ban.

Mr Lennon was also asked about his relationship with the late Mr McBride, who had represented Celtic on disciplinary matters, and was also an alleged target of the plot. He said the QC was a "very close friend" and he was "huge, just a brilliant man and very inspirational".

He added: "He was my friend first of all, a very close friend. When we socialised together we tried to keep football away from the dinner table and chew the fat on other things.

"I loved being in his company regardless of where we were or what we were doing. (He was) legally brilliant as a person. It's difficult to put into words."

He went on to say Mr McBride was one of the only two people to have inspired him in his life, the other being former Celtic manager Martin O'Neill, who was in charge of the club when he was a player.

After Mr Lennon finished his evidence, trial judge Lord Turnbull told the jury they should take Mr Lennon's "own views of Mr McBride's personal qualities" out of their mind when they came to reach a verdict.

Former MSP Ms Godman also gave evidence. She told how she wore a Celtic top on her last day at the Scottish Parliament. She told the court it had been meant as a "private challenge" but she had been filmed by the BBC.

She told the jury she was notified by her assistant about a suspect package being delivered to her constituency office at some point after the footage was broadcast.

The trial continues.