Neil Lennon: Dunfermline set to appoint former Celtic and Hibernian boss after sacking Michael Tidser

Neil Lennon is set to be appointed manager of Scottish Championship club Dunfermline Athletic.

The former Celtic and Hibernian boss was most recently in the dugout at Romanian side Rapid Bucuresti – but was sacked last year, just three months into a two-year-deal.

Lennon would be the third permanent Dunfermline manager this season, with James McPake sacked in December and Michael Tidser dismissed on Monday after just two months.

The Pars are second bottom of the table – six points clear of automatic relegation but one point behind Hamilton as they bid to move out of the relegation play-off spot with seven games to go.

When sacking Tidser, Dunfermline said they would make “an appointment to help us maintain our league status”.

Lennon’s first match in charge of Dunfermline would be against promotion-chasing Ayr United, who are managed by his former Celtic captain Scott Brown.

Lennon’s managerial history

After an initial stint as Celtic caretaker boss, Lennon was handed the job at Parkhead for the first time in June 2010. He went on to win the Scottish Cup in his first season, before three consecutive top-flight titles and another Scottish Cup followed.

He left the club after four years and went on to join Bolton but the team struggled, while off-field financial issues also impacted the side – with Lennon leaving after two years.

Lennon then joined Hibernian as head coach and led the team to promotion back to the Scottish Premiership at the first time of asking and qualified for the Europa League, as well as finishing fourth in the top flight. However, three years later he departed Easter Road.

Another interim spell at Celtic followed as Lennon replaced Brendan Rodgers, who had joined Leicester City, and once again he was handed the job on a permanent basis after helping seal a third domestic treble, before winning all three trophies on his own the following season. He did, however, leave in 2021 after Rangers returned to top spot for the first time in 10 years.

Lennon enjoyed relative success in Cyrpus – winning the Cypriot Cup with Omonia, but he was sacked after less than a year in the job, while his time at Rapid Bucuresti in Romania lasted just three months after a tough start to the season.