Neil Lennon was born in Lurgan on 25 June 1971 (age 54), and became one of Celtic’s defining midfielders of the early Martin O’Neill years. At 5ft 9in (1.75m) and 13st 1lb (83kg), he was not an imposing figure by measurements, but that was rarely the point. He played as a central defensive midfielder, wearing number 18, and gave Celtic a hard, organising presence in the middle of the pitch.
His route to Parkhead was not especially glamorous, which rather suited him. Lennon had been on Manchester City’s books, built his senior career with Crewe Alexandra, and enjoyed his most productive league season in 1994-95, scoring six goals in 31 appearances. Leicester City then gave him a higher platform, and he became an established Premier League midfielder before Celtic paid around £6m to bring him north in December 2000.
At Celtic, Lennon was not there to decorate games. He was there to control them, spoil them when required, and make better players function around him. In a side with plenty of attacking quality, his value was often in the less marketable work: positioning, tempo, discipline, and a refusal to be shifted from the argument. Celtic supporters did not need much persuading.
He left Celtic in June 2007 for Nottingham Forest, later also having a spell with Wycombe Wanderers. By then his main work as a player had already been done. Lennon’s career ran from Crewe and Leicester to a central role at Celtic, where he became a major figure rather than just another good midfielder passing through.
