Lennon met players in their gardens in attempt

Neil Lennon has been so worried about the mental health of his Celtic players that he has taken to visiting them in their gardens to pass on personal reassurance. The Hoops boss made the revelation in response to a question about whether the coronavirus restrictions had made man-management tougher.

“Yes, it has been very difficult,” admitted Lennon.

“I have been to players’ houses. Not inside, obviously, but outside, chatting to them and their partners, and just trying to support and encourage them. It was something I felt was required at the time, with the level of abuse, criticism, whatever you want to call it.

“They are human beings at the end of the day. They have come up here in good faith.

“It is obviously not the picture or landscape they would have expected. “We hoped there would be supporters back in the stadium. That has been a huge loss for us and, with the significance of the season, it has been a shame.

“But, listen, this is not exclusive to us. Everybody is going through the same thing but maybe they don’t have the demands that we had coming into such a significant season.

“I still do think the criticism has far outweighed anything I have come across in my career – to these players and the staff and myself.

“I think it’s a sign of the times. I think we live in a time where it is not objective any more. It’s more personal.

“I think that people don’t see you – or choose not to see you –as a human being. The criticism and the abuse is a lot harsher.

“I have seen it with other people, peers of mine, looking to court public opinion, get more followers, get more clickbait and that type of stuff.

“These people have sold their souls a little bit, and I’m quite happy with the way I have dealt with things.”

As Lennon acknowledges, Celtic have struggled individually and collectively in a season that has seen an early exit from Europe, followed by the failure to keep