John Kennedy, Celtic’s assistant, wants interim boss Neil Lennon to stay on beyond the summer.
Lennon took the job on an interim basis this week, following the departure of Brendan Rodgers.
He got off to a victorious start with a dramatic 2-1 win over Hearts at Tynecastle, and Kennedy believes Lennon can take the club forward beyond this season.
“Do I see Neil Lennon as a serious contender for the job in the long term? I do” said Kennedy, adding “It’s a short period now until the end of the season, but I know what he’s like and he’s a born winner.
“He wants to come in and achieve things, knowing the culture here. He knows the environment, so nothing is going to shock him.
“As soon as he stepped into the role he knew what he was walking into. I’m sure he’ll be a huge success and then in the summer we’ll see where the thing goes. But he would certainly be the one, longer-term, who would be a strong candidate”.
Kennedy contrasted the approaches of Lennon and his predecessor Rodgers, saying “Brendan was a bit more calm in assessing players and trying to put them in a mindset. Neil is very motivation-based. That’s a very good skill to have.
“Both are very driven to be successful. Both thrive on this type of environment.
“Neil has a different skill set to Brendan but he has been successful here before – and they are both winners”.
Celtic face another tough away fixture this weekend, with a trip to Easter Road to face Hibs in tomorrow’s Scottish Cup quarter-final, and Kennedy said: “We are a massive club and we move forward. We’ve got a job to do.
“I’m sure the fans will get behind the team and that’s the most important thing”.