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Wanderers boss Neil Lennon wants to get back to business at Rotherham United on Saturday after apologising to the club's staff and players following the conclusion of an internal investigation.
Lennon's assistant Steve Walford addressed the press today ahead of the Boxing day trip to South Yorkshire and said the manager was 'gutted and down' following the club investigation after a story in last weekend's Sunday Mirror about his private life.
Walford said Lennon had apologised to the players in a meeting and wants to focus on football again and turning around Wanderers fortunes after what his number two admitted had been a difficult week.
The Whites assistant boss told The Bolton News: "It’s been quite a difficult week and that’s probably why I am here speaking.
"But hopefully that’s all behind us now and we can just concentrate on Saturday.
"The manager spoke to the players and all the staff and apologised for his behaviour.
"All the staff have taken to him and accepted him and they are all behind him.
"Some of the senior players went and saw him afterwards and that’s all forgotten now as far as the football club is concerned."
Walford stepped in to preview Saturday's clash and gave an insight into Lennon's mood after the club issued a statement yesterday confirming he would remain in charge of the first team following the conclusion of the investigation in which the club said it had 'dealt with the matter and acted accordingly'.
The 57-year-old Londoner teamed up with Wanderers in September following the departure of Johan Mjallby and it reunited him with one of the players he coached at Leicester during his time on Martin O'Neill's staff at the Foxes.
The former Arsenal and West Ham defender has known the Northern Irishman for a long time and believes his apology is sincere.
And he hopes getting back to work on the training pitch and in the dugout is exactly what Lennon needs after this week's furore.
Walford added: "I’ve known Neil a long time and he’s a really nice guy and honest boy.
"He was really gutted that it happened.
"I have given him my advice, smacked him round the head and told him not to do it again like a naughty little boy.
I’m only joking, of course, but he will be fine.
"He is obviously still down but he will be okay.
"He has been back out on the training pitch being his normal self, balling and shouting at everyone."
Source
Lennon's assistant Steve Walford addressed the press today ahead of the Boxing day trip to South Yorkshire and said the manager was 'gutted and down' following the club investigation after a story in last weekend's Sunday Mirror about his private life.
Walford said Lennon had apologised to the players in a meeting and wants to focus on football again and turning around Wanderers fortunes after what his number two admitted had been a difficult week.
The Whites assistant boss told The Bolton News: "It’s been quite a difficult week and that’s probably why I am here speaking.
"But hopefully that’s all behind us now and we can just concentrate on Saturday.
"The manager spoke to the players and all the staff and apologised for his behaviour.
"All the staff have taken to him and accepted him and they are all behind him.
"Some of the senior players went and saw him afterwards and that’s all forgotten now as far as the football club is concerned."
Walford stepped in to preview Saturday's clash and gave an insight into Lennon's mood after the club issued a statement yesterday confirming he would remain in charge of the first team following the conclusion of the investigation in which the club said it had 'dealt with the matter and acted accordingly'.
The 57-year-old Londoner teamed up with Wanderers in September following the departure of Johan Mjallby and it reunited him with one of the players he coached at Leicester during his time on Martin O'Neill's staff at the Foxes.
The former Arsenal and West Ham defender has known the Northern Irishman for a long time and believes his apology is sincere.
And he hopes getting back to work on the training pitch and in the dugout is exactly what Lennon needs after this week's furore.
Walford added: "I’ve known Neil a long time and he’s a really nice guy and honest boy.
"He was really gutted that it happened.
"I have given him my advice, smacked him round the head and told him not to do it again like a naughty little boy.
I’m only joking, of course, but he will be fine.
"He is obviously still down but he will be okay.
"He has been back out on the training pitch being his normal self, balling and shouting at everyone."
Source
If he's asking his bit on the side for football advice then he truly has hit rock bottom
