Mentor O’neill’s Leicester troubles serve as inspiration
The thunderous support offered to Neil Lennon this week by long-time mentor Martin O’neill demonstrated he remains firmly in his corner.
But for the Celtic manager, O’neill has also been in his mind for another reason. What O’neill was able to battle through when at Leicester City 24 years ago serves as “inspiration” for his conviction that he can drag Celtic out of a dramatic slump that has left them with only two wins from nine games.
Leicester were in the second tier of English football when O’neill took the reins in summer 1995. A mere three wins in 16 league games across the winter months of the following season didn’t only make it seem they would remain there, but that O’neill would be hunted from Filbert Street. Instead, he successfully faced down an invidious challenge.
“Martin O’neill has been a massive influence on my career and in my life,” said Lennon. “I remember early in his time at Leicester we lost at home to Sheffield United and the Leicester fans spilled on to the pitch. They were demanding a change of manager. Martin had to go through that but he remained strong. We then only lost once in 11 games and ended up getting promoted [ through the play- offs] and he became one of the best managers in the Premier League for the next five or so years [ and won two League Cups].
“He went through it in various stages of his managerial career. It’s not easy but you have to stay strong. I take a lot of inspiration from that.
“Martin knows me, as a person, a player and a manager. He believes in me. He believed in me when I played for him and he knows exactly what I am going through. While it was brilliant to have his support, it’s also great to talk to him privately about things.”
O’neill might remind Lennon in such chats that the fact he possesses the mental fortitude he now requires is precisely why he has carved out such a successful career.
“There have been times here as a player when there’s been bad periods, and even at Crewe in my younger days. I was maybe 19 or 20 and went through a loss of form. It took some words from different people and things picked up again. I never looked back after that."