Norwich refute claims of approach for Lennon

Ronnie Cully

Senior Sports Writer

Saturday 2 June 2012

NEIL LENNON has had no contact from Norwich City regarding replacing Paul Lambert as manager at Carrow Road.

Paul Lambert and Neil Lennon at the Adam Drury testimonial match last month at Carrow Road. Picture: SNS

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Ronnie Cully

However, the current Celtic manager is the No.1 target to take over should, as expected, his former Parkhead team-mate resigns to accept the manager's job at Aston Villa.

Lennon remains on a 12-month rolling contract, so any suitors would require permission from the Parkhead club to approach him.

But, Lennon, who has just added the Scottish Premier League championship to the William Hill Scottish Cup he won in his first season in charge, is choosing to ignore all the reports Norwich are ready to pounce.His representative, Martin Reilly, insisted the only move the Celtic manager is looking to make are inroads into the group stage of the Champions League. He said: "We have not had any contact from Norwich City. Obviously, we are aware of all the reports linking Neil to Norwich. But, as far as we are concerned, it is speculation, nothing more, and we are treating it as that."Neil is the manager of Celtic, and he is enjoying himself in the job which means so much to him. As far I know, he is looking forward to the challenge of Champions League football with Celtic next season."Malky Mackay, the Cardiff City manager, has also been linked with a return to Carrow Road. But David McNally, the Norwich chief executive, denied they had enquired about either Lennon or Mackay. McNally said: "I've seen it reported that we have contacted both of their clubs about their managers. "We haven't, and I would like to put that on record."I can confirm no approach has been made for Neil Lennon."If we were interested in talking to Celtic about Neil, we would go straight to them quietly and privately."We wouldn't announce it through the media and Dermot Desmond would be the first to know."Reilly is adamant some people are simply putting two and two together and said: "Unless we hear otherwise, we will continue to regard anything linking Neil with Norwich as rumour and speculation and focus only on searching for the players Neil wants to strengthen the side which won the title last season."Leicester central defender Matt Mills remains one of the players Lennon wants to bring in, while persuading Fraser Forster to accept the offer on the table is another priority.Celtic are aware Lennon's stock has risen since he turned the team around, and Norwich will not be the last club to cast covetous eyes in his direction.Lennon has never hidden the fact he would like to test himself in the Barclays Premier League, but he recognises he is still in the fledgling stage of his managerial career, and that making an impact in Europe would be a significant inclusion on his cv.Lennon did raise eyebrows when he said on the day he brought the SPL trophy back to Parkhead for the first time in four years that he would have to consider his future.The pressure on his personal life and on his family which came from the death threats and assaults – two men were jailed for sending parcel bombs to him in the post – forced Lennon to re-evaluate his position.He admitted there had been times when he wondered if it would be better for him and his family to move away, but concluded that, with the safety issue now much less acute, the satisfaction to be derived from managing Celtic and living in his adopted city made it all worthwhile.

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Norwich refute claims of approach for Lennon

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