Is Neil Lennon the Next Big Premier League Manager?

Neil Lennon earned himself quite the reputation at the Celtic football club, but many criticized him, saying that he was only a good coach in Scotland and that he wouldn't be able to cope with the English Premier League. He walked away, choosing to be jobless while waiting for the right job to become available. So, it was to the surprise of everyone when he decided to manage the Bolton Wanderers in the English Championship, the second tier of the English leagues. Since he left Scotland, the Celtics have become second fiddle to the Inverness football club. Perhaps it's only temporary, but none the less, things have changed. Now he is hoping to change his career around, one day getting back to the UEFA Champions League, proving he's an elite EPL coach too.

Before their Friday clash against Wigan, he explained it was important, although not on the level of the Celtic-Rangers rivalry he was so very familiar with. He said, "It is very different but the premise is the same, we'll maybe pass on a little bit of that. I don't know if many of the players have played in this type of game before, I'm sure the majority have so they'll know what to expect.

He continued, "I've got players who are pretty experienced at this level but it's a game they should be really looking forward to, especially having played so well on Tuesday, they should be looking forward to getting back out there and repeating that. It's Friday night, under the lights, against local rivals and there should be a really good crowd in there; it's what they want to play for."

It's clear to see his coaching credentials are for real. Celtic is struggling, Bolton is improving, and in a few years, he may have Bolton back in the EPL and he may land a top team that has high UEFA Champions League expectations.