Neil Lennon says that he is proud to be the new Hibs’ Head Coach and he insists that he is looking forward to getting started in his new role with promotion his number one priority.
Lennon, who has previously managed Celtic and Bolton Wanderers, feels that the platform to succeed has already been built and he is aiming to get out of the Ladbrokes Championship and challenging for silverware on a regular basis.
Speaking to Hibs TV, Lennon said: “It feels fantastic and I feel very proud first of all, obviously tinged with anticipation as well and I’m looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
“It’s a great stadium and I always enjoyed playing here, the atmosphere was always great. I was really impressed with the training facilities when I saw them last night.
“The infrastructure is there and it is a big city club, what we have to do now is to endeavour to get out of the division that we find ourselves in and build a team to challenge for honours consistently over the next few years.
“There is a lot of hard work ahead of us. It was a brilliant end of the season and the players showed great character I thought. after losing the play-off to Falkirk then to come back to win the cup spoke volumes.
“We need to get promoted either by winning the Championship or doing up through the play-offs, whatever it takes. That’s a priority for us. The cup competitions are always fantastic to play in and European football as well for however long that will be, but the priority is to get promotion and I think that most Hibs fans would agree.
“The problem with the Europa League is that it comes very early. I might not have my squad finalised by then. I’m hoping to have a pool of 20 to pick from. It will just depend on the draw. If the draw is good then you never know where it could take us, but it’s a bonus and that’s the way I am looking at it.
“We are looking at key areas more than personnel but we are at a very embryonic stage for what we want to achive. I had a good chat with the Head of Recruitment last night and I’ll look at some footage tomorrow of players we would like to bring in.
“I also want to see some of the games we played last year, some where we did well and others where we didn’t.
“We need to learn how to win ugly at times. We certainly have the talent to play good football but we have to scratch out a few more results and that easier said than done. It’s about trying to get the temperament and mentality right.
“I’m on the training ground every day. I like my teams to work hard. I also like a disciplined team who have an edge. My man management is very strong and I think I am good at getting the best out of players and motivate them. I worked under Martin O’Neil for 10 years and learned a lot under him.
“I know the culture and environment of the Scottish game and the Championship and we will adapt to it as quickly as we can.
“What I want to do is fill Easter Road as best as I can and put a team on the pitch that the fans will enjoy watching and be proud of.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
