Romania 'far better' for Lennon after Scottish offers

Neil Lennon says he turned down approaches from Scottish clubs and his move to Rapid Bucharest is simply a "far amended option".

The erstwhile Celtic and Hibernian head starts nan adjacent section of his coaching profession in Romania, having past worked pinch Omonia successful Cyprus successful 2022.

It began pinch an approach, followed by a Zoom telephone pinch Rapid proprietor Dan Sucu, whom he past met successful Athens.

"I was really impressed by what he had to say," Lennon, 52, told BBC Scotland.

"I've since been to Bucharest, looking astatine nan stadium and nan facilities. It's a nine that's connected nan up. All of Romanian shot is connected nan up astatine nan moment. The nationalist squad are astatine nan Euros.

"The infrastructure is improving each nan time, location are bully coaches and bully competition.

"On paper, you deliberation 'no', but successful believe erstwhile you spell and look you think, 'this has immense potential'.

"I've done a batch successful Scotland and this is an opportunity to broaden my horizons. I loved my clip successful Cyprus and I'm hoping I emotion it successful Romania."

Lennon lasted conscionable 8 months pinch Omonia but packed a batch in, winning nan Cypriot Cup and qualifying for nan group shape of nan Europa League, pinch matches against Manchester United and Real Sociedad.

"I was offered jobs [in Scotland] past summertime and I turned them down because they weren't right," he added. "I felt I could activity astatine a amended level. This is simply a acold amended option."

The Northern Irishman revealed location was interaction pinch Aberdeen and Hibs, though not overmuch more.

"I had a little speech pinch Aberdeen successful March aliases April, but that's each it was," he said.

"With Hibs location was a batch of speculation, which is flattering. Again, a little speech but thing materialised.

"It's a different nine from nan 1 I worked at. Different owners. Would I person gone back? I don't know. I loved my clip location but it's ne'er nan aforesaid nan 2nd time. I learned that astatine Celtic."

Rapid vanished sixth past season, having been 2nd earlier nan 10-game divided and Lennon has been tasked pinch a "top 2 aliases three" ngo adjacent term.

"All 3 Bucharest clubs person awesome tradition," he said. "Our stadium holds 30,000 but erstwhile we play Steaua it's astatine nan nationalist stadium, which holds 60,000.

"You can't spell successful pinch a sledgehammer and say, 'this is really we played astatine Celtic', that's not really it works. You request to understand nan culture, nan mentality, really they spot football.

"You person to put your ain stamp connected things early, but nan days of nan robust fist are gone. I don't deliberation it useful anyway. It has a shorter effect these days."