Neil Lennon has spoken to Brendan Rodgers since assuming his fellow countryman’s role at Celtic Park this week and believes that the former manager deserves to be acknowledged as one of the great managers that the club has had.
Celtic fans remain furious at the manner in which Rodgers suddenly left the club for Leicester on Tuesday morning with a potential 14 games between the Parkhead side and a third successive and historic treble.
Rodgers’ stock has plummeted dramatically in the eyes of the support but Lennon has maintained that his on-field achievements deserve to be applauded.
READ MORE: Brendan Rodgers: I'd like to manage Celtic again one day
“There is a lot of emotion, a lot of spontaneous reaction,” he said. “You can understand the soreness, but what we have to remember is what he did for the club and the legacy he has left. When people take a step back and look in the cold light of day, he is up there with the greatest with what he has brought to the club in terms of success and enjoyment.
“I understand there is agitation there. But from a personal point of view, I wish him all the very best because I know him very well. And I know the club do as well. We have to move on now.
“Of course [time will heal]. It’s all very sudden and that suddenness has made people react in the way they have.”
Rodgers left the club on Monday after training without properly saying goodbye at Celtic. He has, however, been in touch with Lennon.
READ MORE: Alan Stubbs believes Brendan Rodgers may regret Celtic exit
“We texted each other the other day and I will give him a call when things settle down,” he said. “It will be hectic for him as well. He has just been unveiled on Tuesday and he is probably preparing for a game tomorrow. He will be getting to know the staff, getting to know the players, looking for a house, all that type of stuff. He will be up to his neck in it I’m sure. But we did communicate with each other on Wednesday afternoon, which was great.
We both did [wish one another all the best]. I know what Leicester is like as a club. It’s a fantastic club.
“He has made a career decision and it has to be respected. It’s not forgotten what he has done here. Brownie came out after the game and spoke so highly of him. You can see the imprint he made on them. The one thing that’s guaranteed in this job is that you get the sack eventually.
READ MORE: Brendan Rodgers backs John Kennedy to help land the triple treble
“They had incredible days and really good memories. Browny is another really good example of Brendan bringing the best out in him. The last two and a half years he has been fantastic.”
Meanwhile, Lennon will return to Easter Road this afternoon to negotiate the immediate hurdle that stands in the way of Celtic as they look to secure another Treble.
It will be his first return to the ground since his acrimonious departure from Leith at the end of January after being suspended by Hibs following an internal falling out. While Lennon has acknowledged that there will be various sub-plots going on around his return but he has maintained that the spotlight has to be on the team rather than on him.
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Asked what kind of reception he might get, Lennon said: “I would like to think it would be good. I think I was good for the club. We did a great job there. We did the first part, which was promotion, which wasn’t easy.
“There will be subplots, headlines, I get all that, but it’s not really fazing me at all. The hardest one was the Hearts one because I did the press on Wednesday, then you are straight to the hotel. I hadn’t even met the players and you are going into a really difficult game, away from home at a tough venue. “
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