📂 Categoría: Football,Scottish Premiership | 📅 Fecha: 1777052201
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Neil Lennon admits he has mixed emotions about facing ‘mentor’ Martin O’Neill in next month’s Scottish Cup final.
Lennon’s Dunfermline saw off bitter rivals Falkirk on penalties in last week’s semi-final to book their place in the Hampden Park showpiece against Celtic.
It will see the second-tier side contest their first final since 2007 and in what could be a memorable season, Dunfermline remain in contention for promotion to the Scottish Premiership.
Another first will see Lennon and O’Neill go head-to-head as managers for the first time in their careers.
The pair first crossed paths when O’Neill brought the former midfielder to Leicester in 1996.
It was there that they masterminded promotion to the Premier League followed by two League Cup triumphs.
Lennon followed O’Neill to Celtic in 2000, winning three of his five titles under his fellow Northern Irishman and was part of the side that narrowly lost to Jose Mourinho’s Porto in the 2003 UEFA Cup final.
And there was no doubting O’Neill’s influence on Lennon when he went on to manage the Hoops, leading them to five Scottish Premiership titles.
‘Mixed emotions’
Ahead of the pair’s first face off in the dugout, Lennon admits facing O’Neill will be a strange feeling.
“I’ve known Martin for 30 years and I played under him for ten (years),” Lennon told talkSPORT.
“He’s been a real mentor and support to me throughout my managerial career as well.
“He’s been the biggest influence on my career, so it’s going to be a little different for me for sure.
“It could be his last game so I think it’s quite poignant.
“I don’t know how I’m going to feel, I’ll be honest with you. I’ve got mixed emotions about it as it is because I love the guy so much.
“It’s going to be weird being in the opposition dugout for the first time ever.”
Lennon has engineered a huge turnaround in fortunes at KDM Group East End Park.
The 54-year-old took charge of Dunfermline on an initial short-term deal in March 2025 and after helping the club avoid relegation, he signed a two year deal.
Lennon has quickly stamped his authority on the club and with glory on the horizon on two fronts this season, the Pars could be set for an unforgettable campaign.
History beckons
Asked what it would mean to the club to lift the Scottish Cup at Celtic’s expense, Lennon said: “It would mean so much to the people here and the supporters and then the people at the club.
“It’s an old traditional club,” he added. “In the ‘60s it was one of the best clubs in Scotland.
“It lost its way a little bit but we’ve got a new owner now who’s revamped it and we’ve got a good, young, energetic and talented team that have done very well to get to the final.
“But we are playing Celtic and we are going to have to approach the game in the same way we did in the semi-final.
“Try and stay cool and stay in the game as long as we can and try and cause them some problems.
“It’s going to be very difficult because they are a team full of quality players and internationals but we’re very excited about it.
“It could be an amazing season, it already is, but we can put the icing on the cake with either promotion or a cup win.”
Neil Lennon admits he has mixed emotions about facing ‘mentor’ Martin O’Neill in next month’s Scottish Cup final.
Lennon’s Dunfermline saw off bitter rivals Falkirk on penalties in last week’s semi-final to book their place in the Hampden Park showpiece against Celtic.
It will see the second-tier side contest their first final since 2007 and in what could be a memorable season, Dunfermline remain in contention for promotion to the Scottish Premiership.
Another first will see Lennon and O’Neill go head-to-head as managers for the first time in their careers.
The pair first crossed paths when O’Neill brought the former midfielder to Leicester in 1996.
It was there that they masterminded promotion to the Premier League followed by two League Cup triumphs.
Lennon followed O’Neill to Celtic in 2000, winning three of his five titles under his fellow Northern Irishman and was part of the side that narrowly lost to Jose Mourinho’s Porto in the 2003 UEFA Cup final.
And there was no doubting O’Neill’s influence on Lennon when he went on to manage the Hoops, leading them to five Scottish Premiership titles.
‘Mixed emotions’
Ahead of the pair’s first face off in the dugout, Lennon admits facing O’Neill will be a strange feeling.
“I’ve known Martin for 30 years and I played under him for ten (years),” Lennon told talkSPORT.
“He’s been a real mentor and support to me throughout my managerial career as well.
“He’s been the biggest influence on my career, so it’s going to be a little different for me for sure.
“It could be his last game so I think it’s quite poignant.
“I don’t know how I’m going to feel, I’ll be honest with you. I’ve got mixed emotions about it as it is because I love the guy so much.
“It’s going to be weird being in the opposition dugout for the first time ever.”
Lennon has engineered a huge turnaround in fortunes at KDM Group East End Park.
The 54-year-old took charge of Dunfermline on an initial short-term deal in March 2025 and after helping the club avoid relegation, he signed a two year deal.
Lennon has quickly stamped his authority on the club and with glory on the horizon on two fronts this season, the Pars could be set for an unforgettable campaign.
History beckons
Asked what it would mean to the club to lift the Scottish Cup at Celtic’s expense, Lennon said: “It would mean so much to the people here and the supporters and then the people at the club.
“It’s an old traditional club,” he added. “In the ‘60s it was one of the best clubs in Scotland.
“It lost its way a little bit but we’ve got a new owner now who’s revamped it and we’ve got a good, young, energetic and talented team that have done very well to get to the final.
“But we are playing Celtic and we are going to have to approach the game in the same way we did in the semi-final.
“Try and stay cool and stay in the game as long as we can and try and cause them some problems.
“It’s going to be very difficult because they are a team full of quality players and internationals but we’re very excited about it.
“It could be an amazing season, it already is, but we can put the icing on the cake with either promotion or a cup win.”
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📚 Información de la Fuente
| 📰 Publicación: | talksport.com |
| ✍️ Autor: | Lee Davey |
| 📅 Fecha Original: | 2026-04-24 17:30:00 |
| 🔗 Enlace: | Ver artículo original |
Nota de transparencia: Este artículo ha sido traducido y adaptado del inglés al español para facilitar su comprensión. El contenido se mantiene fiel a la fuente original, disponible en el enlace proporcionado arriba.
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