I remember the first time I saw Lennon, it was on the telly as speculation that MON wanted him and Leicester were determined to hold on to him was the cat and mouse of that time. There he was this dyed blond short cropped sturdy wee guy. To be honest, I thought he looked like a seriously uncool individual with a pathetic peroxide Gazza and was not too impressed at all. In fact, I think it would be safe to say that I thought, "I hope we don't get him" He looked too squat, over weight and as I said before must have lived in a hoose with nae mirrors; either that or he got dressed in the dark!
Eventually though, as history will attest, he was duly packed up here, blond hair and all and was paraded to the masses shoulder to shoulder with MON. I still wasn't convinced. His first few games began tentatively, he seemed over cautious and although his ratio of complete passes was in the 90%, they were all about ten yards and it seemed to us at the time, sideyways. I like a right few of us, started to get on his back for what we perceived to be negative play and taking the sideways easy option. A Champions League game had the most vociferous negative response to this sideways style and I know it must have hurt him for I felt embarrassed by it and for him.
I decided to focus on Neil's performance more closely. What he did when the ball was elsewhere and slowly but surely discovered that this man, was everywhere we needed him to be, when we needed him to be there. He was always there to Harry, to stop the opposition's progress, to put his head in places you or I would baulk at and from that time I knew Neil Lennon and I knew he would be a legend for us. I put my hands up to my failing to see his worth to the team and the whole support did likewise.
We have won many trophies and Neil Lennon has been an integral part of it all. When he is not playing you realised what he brought to us. His courage and passion for his and our team is unquestioned. Every team needs a Lennon type, a terrier, a fighter, a leader and a pain in the butt. His pace has been the topic of many a discussion and it is not a recent phenomenon, five years a go a ball went flying down the wing and one wag near me shouted " use your pace Lennon". This was a ball that Linford Christie would have had to be fired out of one of Saddams Superguns to catch, never mind Neil!
One of my happiest days regarding Neil was when he decided that looking like a peroxide bawbag was over and from there the red haired Celtic warrior came to the fore. He became our captain and he led us with pride, passion and a never say die attitude that we not only want, but demand. We have won two titles back to back, we have not played great football, but we have won and that is what ultimately matters, although I have said on more than one occasion I want to be entertained and still do.