I’m at crossroads of my career but I’ll never forget Lenny getting lost when he came to my house to sign me for Celts
EXCLUSIVE McGeouch admits he’s torn over next career move as English clubs swoop
NEIL LENNON has won a place in the affections of Dylan McGeouch when once he struggled to find a way into his street.
Now the Hibs midfielder has reached a crossroads in his career as he contemplates making a cut with the ties that bind. McGeouch’s name will be among
the first Lennon pens on his teamsheet this afternoon when Hibs travel to face champions Celtic.
They used to be united in their desire to bring success to the Hoops but now, with only six months left on his contract, the 25-year-old could be making his last trip for some time to the ground that was once his spiritual home.
He is attracting interest from a string of English Championship clubs including Bolton, Barnsley and Millwall, with League One high fliers Blackburn Rovers also keeping tabs.
Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes is another admirer and today’s game could even represent a Hibees swansong for McGeouch as the transfer window prepares to slam shut on Wednesday night.
He said: “I know there are teams sniffing around and the time is coming where I have to sit down and think about the next stage of my career.
“Until now being fit and featuring in a run of games for Hibs, playing consistently, has been my main focus because I was troubled by a recurring groin problem until the start of this season.
“I had a spell on loan under Steven Pressley at Coventry a few seasons ago but they were fighting relegation from League One and were more about getting the ball forward, which didn’t suit my style.
“I’d like another crack at the English game. Championship clubs are seeing Scottish football and our players in a different light these days but I’m open-minded and don’t want to be disrespectful to Hibs.
“It’s a great place to play and Neil Lennon has been such a big influence in my career, since the day he turned up at my house as Celtic
manager to persuade me to sign for the club.”
McGeouch, a boyhood Celtic fan, returned to his first love seven years ago when Lennon convinced him his future lay at Parkhead – even though he was on the books of Rangers and had been offered a five-year deal by Walter Smith.
Lennon showed how badly he wanted him when he turned up on his doorstep in the Milton area of Glasgow, admittedly with the help of a couple of locals in the days before GPS.
He said: “My agent called two hours beforehand to say Neil wanted to meet my mum and dad to ask me to think about coming to Celtic.
“I had never met him before and he needed to stop and ask for directions to our house from some local kids at the end of the road.
“Word soon got out and by the time he was due to leave all the neighbours were out in the street. It meant a lot to me the manager of Celtic made a point of coming to my house. It was a clever move too. My mum rarely came to watch me play as she was a bit shy about it all.
“Neil could have spoken to me and my dad after any game but wanted to involve my mum.
“She was quite excited by it all, even though she was running around the house tidying up in preparation for his arrival.
“I enjoy working with the gaffer. He never shirked a confrontation on the pitch and he’s never shy of telling you what he thinks.
“He’ll fight for every decision on the touchline and he’s tough on us all at times to provoke a reaction.
“However, there’s also a different and more gentle side to him as well.
“He’s a guy you’d always feel comfortable about taking into your confidence for a heart to heart.”
Lennon himself has been touted for a move this season, with Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers urging the SFA to approach him and speak about becoming the new Scotland boss.
It’s little wonder after he led the club out of the Championship last season and into their current position, top four behind Celtic, Rangers and Aberdeen and five points ahead of arch-rivals Hearts.
They have proved their worth already in Glasgow this season, with a 3-2 win at Ibrox in August followed by a 2-2 draw at Celtic in September, a result they repeated at Easter Road in December.
McGeouch said: “There was an expectation on Hibs doing well this season because of the size of our club but we’d been out of the Premiership a few years and there are some hard-working teams in this division who know how to maintain their place in it.
“In that respect we’ve been excellent, especially in big games. There’s an expectation among our squad that we’re good enough to go to places such as Ibrox and Parkhead and pick up points.
“Our aim is a top-four finish but we also want to keep the pressure on the clubs in third and second.”
McGeouch has been a mainstay for Hibs but he admits there’s an area of his game on which he’d like to improve – goalscoring.
He has netted just once in the last three seasons, in a Scottish Cup defeat to Aberdeen last season and his last top-flight strike came almost five years ago in a 5-0 Celtic win over Dundee.
He said: “I used to get into the box a lot more when I was playing at under-19 for Rangers and Celtic but I’ve been used in a much deeper role at Hibs.
“I’d like to add more goals to my game but it’s not something I’m too worried about. My main role is to start play for Hibs and making sure we tick going forward.”
Championship clubs are seeing Scottish football and players in a different light these days DYLAN McGEOUCH