Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #184581 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-24
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Synopsis
Captain of Celtic and midfield enforcer for Northern Ireland, Neil Lennon is one of the most controversial figures in British football. His story, fully updated for the Celtic 2006/7 season in this paperback edition, is an extraordinary tale of religious bigotry, life-threatening career injury and tumultuous football success at club level. The first Northern Irish Roman Catholic to play for Celtic and to be chosen to captain his country, Lennon was sensationally forced to quit the captaincy even before he took the field following death threats by Loyalist paramilitaries. In Northern Ireland, the words 'Neil Lennon RIP' were painted on a wall near his family home, while in Scotland, he has been the target of vicious verbal and physical assault by fans of Old Firm rivals Rangers -- including being mugged on the street and hung in effigy. Now he will give his side of these stories, revealing in full the terrible consequences of the religious hatred that has tainted his career. Lennon will write of his Leicester years under Martin O'Neill, and how the Midlands club defied bigger rivals by maintaining their Premiership League status and winning two League Cups.

He will also tell the inside story of Celtic under O'Neill; how his GBP5 million transfer to Parkhead nearly didn't happen; his wrongful arrest on a club night out; lifting the domestic treble in a glorious first season with Celtic, and the continued revival of the club to the point where they reached the UEFA Cup Final (narrowly losing out to a Jose Mourinho-inspired Porto); and his relationship with current boss Gordon Strachan. As he approaches the twilight of his playing career, Lennon has decided the time is right to reveal all about his life on the field -- including his horrific spinal injury and his less than happy apprenticeships at Motherwell and Manchester City -- as well as his hitherto closely guarded private life, including his battle with depression. It's a book that will shock football to its core.

About the Author
Neil Lennon was born in June 1971 in Lurgan, County Armagh. He signed professional forms in 1989 and played for Manchester City, Motherwell, Crewe and Leicester before joining Celtic in 2000. He has since made over 250 appearances for the club, and has 40 international caps for Northern Ireland.

Martin Hannan is a sports journalist for Scotland on Sunday. An award-winning writer, his book Rock of Gibraltar, published by Mainstream, was widely acclaimed as one of the best racing books of 2004.

Customer Reviews

a play with words ,Man and Bhoy?!!!
Neil Lennon brought a lot on himself when playing for Celtic we all Irish Roman Catholics have to suffer religious bigotry in Scotland,he was lucky he only had it for the time he was up here,Neil Lennon only became a "Celtic fan" when he signed for Celtic as he supported Liverpool as a Man and Boy,I read the book but have read better.

The Bhoy Deserves Respect
HAIL HAIL,

I am a BIG Celtic Fan and a Fellow Bhoy recommended that I got Lenny's book because it gave a real insight into His life. I got this book last november and I have to say what a brilliant read it was it really does open Your eyes. I recommend this not only to Celtic Fans but anyone who supports a different team or I think it would be great for a school/university portfolio. I'll let You find out Yourself but it is such a good and indepth read and after reading this My respect for Lenny grew even more,I've always respected Him but after reading about His struggles and His fight with depression I have nothing but admiration for the Bhoy.

HAIL HAIL KING NEIL LENNON YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE

Good, but filled with inconsistencies
Neil comes across as being very honest in this book. It is a good read. However, he states that Willie Thorns was a former world snooker champion. This is incorrect as Willie Thorne never was. He mentions that Martin O'Neil won 64 caps playing for Northern Ireland where, approx. 15 pages later, Martin O'Neil goes onto explain to another player in front of Neil Lennon what he won as a player, including winning 62 caps playing for Northern Ireland. When I read inconsistencies like this, the credibility of the book drops & starts to disappoint me. If you don't mind such inconsistencies, then read the book, as you will enjoy it.