Neil Lennon would happily work with 'senior hand' if given Celtic job

Neil Lennon has confirmed he would be happy to work alongside a senior figure after being told he will find out if he is to be appointed the Celtic manager within the next 10 days. Lennon and the club's chief executive, Peter Lawwell, addressed fans at a meeting tonight organised by the club's supporters' trust. Lawwell, for the first time, put a timescale on replacing Tony Mowbray. Lennon remains the leading candidate to succeed Mowbray after guiding Celtic to eight Scottish Premier League wins to close the season as interim manager. The delay in any confirmation of his appointment, though, highlights a lack of certainty on the part of Dermot Desmond, Celtic's largest individual shareholder. "Bear with us, it will be worth the wait," Lawwell said. "We are going through the process. It has taken longer than we expected but we hope to conclude it in the next 10 days." On the matter of working with a "senior hand", Lennon said: "I would like an older head, I might need someone to turn to. I am going into the unknown. It would be foolish to think I have all the answers myself." Giovanni Trappatoni, currently in charge of Ireland, has been linked with the role but has shown no inclination to return to the club scene. One potential impediment to confirming Celtic's new manager is that Mowbray and his coaching team are on gardening leave from Parkhead with a compensation settlement on the remaining period of their contracts still to be agreed. Lawwell, meanwhile, confirmed Lennon's recommendations for the signing of new players, Sol Campbell among them, have been acted upon.