Neil Lennon would be willing to open talks with the Scottish Football Association if they approached him about becoming the next manager of the national side.
While the Hibernian coach would not be drawn yesterday on his interest in the vacant post, it is understood that the Northern Irishman would accept an invitation to discuss the job with the SFA, provided his club permitted him to do so.
When Gordon Strachan was dismissed in October, Lennon appeared to rule himself out of contention for the job by saying that international football did not float his boat and that he “might go missing” during three-month sabbaticals. But Michael O’Neill’s decision to turn down the Scotland job after talks with the SFA has left Lennon as one of only a few credible alternatives. Alex McLeish, who is out of work, and Steve Clarke, the Kilmarnock manager, are also being quoted.
“It’s something that I’ve not given much consideration to,” Lennon said. “The day-to-day stuff I enjoy, but the more you think about it, well maybe at some stage it might be something that tickles your fancy.
“It’s a very good job. The only criticism of it is that I would not have changed Gordon. Progress was being made. Michael has turned the job down, but that happens. I’m sure there are many other candidates.”
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It is unclear whether Lennon is a target for the SFA, who claim O’Neill was one of several names on a shortlist. Yesterday, the Hibs coach said that he had not been contacted and that he would rather talk about his team’s match against Celtic in Glasgow this afternoon. That would have been much easier if Brendan Rodgers had not said only 24 hours earlier that Lennon was “a great fit” for the Scotland job. The Celtic manager suggested that the SFA should at least establish whether his fellow Northern Irishman might be interested.
“It’s very flattering,” said Lennon. “I thought he was my mate. When you have a manager of the calibre of Brendan talking about you like that then it’s much appreciated. I’m not canvassing for the job, obviously, but from a personal point of view it means a lot.
“Look, I’m not here to talk about the Scotland job because it’s unfair. I’m the Hibs manager. I know the job’s available but there’s been no contact and I’m sure they’ve got umpteen contenders for the job.
“I’m really happy [at Hibs]. It was a bit of a calculated risk to take this job on, but I knew we could take it places and thankfully that’s the way it’s panned out so far. I’m 18 months into the job and there’s still a lot of work to be done but we’re very happy. I’m satisfied with the progress that’s being made and we’re playing a decent brand of football.”
Hibs have troubled Celtic in each of their three meetings with the champions this season. A 2-2 draw at Celtic Park in September was followed by a 4-2 victory for Rodgers’ men in the Betfred Cup semi-final, and then another 2-2 draw, this time in a league match at Easter Road.
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After the last of those, much was made of the battle in midfield between John McGinn and Scott Brown, with each manager arguing that his own player came out on top. This afternoon represents another intriguing opportunity to measure the two Scotland internationals against each other.
Cardiff City are among the clubs said to be preparing a bid for McGinn. The 23-year-old was not himself during the festive period but, according to Lennon, he was back to his “very, very best” in the 1-0 victory against Dundee at Dens Park on Wednesday night. The problem for Hibs, who turned down three offers by Nottingham Forest in the summer, is that the departure of McGinn would leave them with a massive hole to fill before the transfer window closes on Wednesday night.
“To find a player of John’s ability right at this minute would cost a lot of money,” said Lennon. “So we need a lot of money in for him. If he were to go, he would be more or less irreplaceable in the short term, that’s for sure.”