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NEIL Lennon is NOT the top managerial target for Leicester City, The Bolton News understands.
Wanderers have been steeling themselves for an official approach from the Premier League Foxes since Nigel Pearson was sacked on Tuesday.
But while Lennon’s name has been included on a shortlist drafted up in the last 48 hours, it is believed at least one more candidate has already been sounded out to take the helm at the King Power Stadium.
Dutch veteran Guus Hiddink emerged as a strong contender last night following his departure as head coach of the Netherlands.
Lennon has a lot of allies in the Leicester camp, not least director of football John Rudkin and director of football operations Andrew Neville, who were both at the club in the mid-nineties when he played in the glory days under Martin O’Neill.
The pair will have a major say in who will be the next Leicester manager and both rate the Northern Irishman’s achievements at Celtic and Wanderers very highly indeed.
And sources in the East Midlands claim this is not the first time Lennon has come under consideration for the Leicester post.
It is believed contact was made with Lennon’s representatives back in February when Pearson was allegedly sacked by the club’s Thai owners and then reinstated less than 24 hours earlier.
But while the threat of losing the popular manager - who has revived Wanderers since he walked through the doors at the Macron last October - has not completely disappeared, there was a mood of quiet optimism in the Bolton camp yesterday evening as they prepared for the pre-season tour of Austria.
Leicester are keen to make a quick appointment to minimise the effect Pearson’s departure has on their own summer preparations. And in that respect, free agent Hiddink would be an ideal choice.
The 68-year-old has huge experience and has managed in the English top flight before with Chelsea, winning the FA Cup in 2009. His 10-month stint as Netherlands boss ended in failure, however, leading to speculation that he would retire from the game.
If Hiddink were to fancy another shot at club management, however, he could be ready to take charge right away, and that would not necessarily be the case were they to pursue Lennon.
Wanderers announced that Lennon signed a three-year contract last October, leaving him with more than two years left to run.
So while the Northern Irishman would most likely find the lure of the Premier League hard to resist, provided an offer was forthcoming, the compensation package would be a hefty one.
Wanderers are hoping for a speedy resolution, with concern starting to grow that speculation could have affected the club’s pre-season plans.
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/13367983.Neil_Lennon_not_Foxes__first_choice__but_is_on_shortlist/
Wanderers have been steeling themselves for an official approach from the Premier League Foxes since Nigel Pearson was sacked on Tuesday.
But while Lennon’s name has been included on a shortlist drafted up in the last 48 hours, it is believed at least one more candidate has already been sounded out to take the helm at the King Power Stadium.
Dutch veteran Guus Hiddink emerged as a strong contender last night following his departure as head coach of the Netherlands.
Lennon has a lot of allies in the Leicester camp, not least director of football John Rudkin and director of football operations Andrew Neville, who were both at the club in the mid-nineties when he played in the glory days under Martin O’Neill.
The pair will have a major say in who will be the next Leicester manager and both rate the Northern Irishman’s achievements at Celtic and Wanderers very highly indeed.
And sources in the East Midlands claim this is not the first time Lennon has come under consideration for the Leicester post.
It is believed contact was made with Lennon’s representatives back in February when Pearson was allegedly sacked by the club’s Thai owners and then reinstated less than 24 hours earlier.
But while the threat of losing the popular manager - who has revived Wanderers since he walked through the doors at the Macron last October - has not completely disappeared, there was a mood of quiet optimism in the Bolton camp yesterday evening as they prepared for the pre-season tour of Austria.
Leicester are keen to make a quick appointment to minimise the effect Pearson’s departure has on their own summer preparations. And in that respect, free agent Hiddink would be an ideal choice.
The 68-year-old has huge experience and has managed in the English top flight before with Chelsea, winning the FA Cup in 2009. His 10-month stint as Netherlands boss ended in failure, however, leading to speculation that he would retire from the game.
If Hiddink were to fancy another shot at club management, however, he could be ready to take charge right away, and that would not necessarily be the case were they to pursue Lennon.
Wanderers announced that Lennon signed a three-year contract last October, leaving him with more than two years left to run.
So while the Northern Irishman would most likely find the lure of the Premier League hard to resist, provided an offer was forthcoming, the compensation package would be a hefty one.
Wanderers are hoping for a speedy resolution, with concern starting to grow that speculation could have affected the club’s pre-season plans.
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/13367983.Neil_Lennon_not_Foxes__first_choice__but_is_on_shortlist/