Neil Lennon

Lennon's 'pride' over depression

CELTIC CAPTAIN Neil Lennon has revealed that the hardest part of facing up to his depression was breaking the news to his family.
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In a candid interview to be broadcast on Radio One this Wednesday, the former Northern Ireland internationalist speaks of his pride at the way in which he has handled his illness while remaining ever in the public eye.
Speaking as a contributor to the two-part documentary Demons, Going Around My Head, recorded for the Colin Murray show, Lennon admitted too many people still fail to understand mental health problems.
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He said: "The greatest quote is pull yourself together' or shake yourself out of it'. That can be the worst thing that anyone can say to you, because you are fighting it yourself and the last thing you need is somebody putting you down - you are feeling bad enough as it is.
"You never think you are going to get out of it. My mother and sister have suffered from it, so they are a great help, but trying to actually explain to them I had depression was one of the hardest things I had to do."
In his autobiography Man And Bhoy, published last year, Lennon revealed he had been suffering from depression since 2000, when he playing for Leicester City.
His condition was diagnosed by Celtic club doctor Roddy McDonald after the move to his boyhood heroes, though he chose to stall going public for fear, he says, of people accusing him of being depressed every time his performance level dipped.
The documentary also features Scot Stuart Braithwaite, frontman of rock group Mogwai, and former Beta Band singer Steve Mason, urging anyone feeling depressed to confide in someone they feel comfortable with.
Lennon added: "It's very difficult to come forward and talk about it, but for a start, don't be ashamed, it is an illness, it's like getting the flu or breaking a leg. It happens, and it can happen for no reason.
"I'm proud of it, I'm proud of being able to deal with it and still be in the public eye and be pretty successful at what I do. We all have our crosses in life to bear and maybe depression is mine. If it is, then so be it, I will deal with it as best I can."
Mental health charities paid tribute to Lennon's openness and hoped his views would encourage Scots to seek help with problems, as the country has the highest suicide rate in the UK.
Sandra McDougall, Influence and Change manager with the Scottish Association for Mental Health, said: "One in four people will experience a mental health problem at some time in their lives - so any one of us, or people close to us, might be affected.
"If people can see someone with such a high public profile talk openly, and without shame, then that might help challenge some of the myths that are around. It might also encourage people who are struggling themselves to seek help."
Linda Dunion, campaign director for See Me, said Lennon appealed to a key demographic. She said: "Everybody needs to hear this, but young men in particular. The single best thing you can do is confide in somebody you can trust and, on the other side of the coin, if someone confides in you, you have to be able to listen without judging them."
Celtic season ticket holder Michael McLaughlin, 24, a fervent Lennon fan, said: "It was totally surprising to discover he was dealing with depression, considering how strong a character he appears to be. It is just something you don't associate with a guy like him. In speaking out, he opened himself up to abuse so he really has to be admired.


Taken from the Herald.Whatever ye think of him it is brave of him to talk about this publicly.The story in his autobiography about the away leg in Basel shows ye what he has to go thru and mebbe could explain some of the incidents like the armband tossing etc etc

 

well done for your effort neil, but your time is up, bye

 

I know a couple of people with depression and it really kills your will to do anything and ruins your life. I think Lenny is a top bloke for highlighting this. He seems a real gentleman off the pitch-leaves all the snarl behind him when the final whistle goes.

 

WELL SAID, BUT YOU HAVE TO AGREE THAT HIS WORKRATE OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS OR SO HAS DROPPED???

 

legend my * mcstay...mcneill...johnstone...larsson NOW THEY ARE LEGENDS

is paul lambert a celtic legend??
he waz all lennon is and more

played well in ur opinion that is...CERTAINLY NOT MINE

HE is the main reason we are SO BORING THIS SEASON without doubt.. our midfield has never been right this season.. i waz REALLY LOOKING FORWARD 2 KEANO PLAYING A KEY CL ROLE THIS SEASON and waz 100% positive lenny would retire.. BIG LET DOWN AND 2 ALL THE TIMS I KNOW TOO BTH

people slag off kenny miller...well maybe its lennon's fault cause kennys game is all about running into the channels on the break..with lennon in the team by the time he passes the ball sidewards/backwards the opposition are all back in position and kennys main treat is lost

championship quality at best NOW
under MON AT LEICSTER AND CELTIC IN A 3-5-2 HE DONE WELL cause his limited ability was covered by 2 others in the midfield and the style of play waz direct and in ur face..WGS is trying 2 play a passing game with the emphsis on skill and technique and LENNY and BOBO and THOMMO dont suit this way imo


and for the record..
ive always admired neil lennon the man not the footballer..

comes across as a really sound bloke but i cant let this blind my view of him as a player..

HE WAZ AND ALWAYS WILL BE AVERAGE...
when i think LEGEND ...i think MCSTAY for his ability not his background

 

Spot on Bobo as ever..

Lennon is not, ...and never will be a Legend in the mould of Jinky or Larsson

The ex pundits and commentators who want Lennon to stay on are all dyed in the wool Bluenoses like Johnstone, Smith and Archie MacPherson......they know as long as square ball Lennon remains there in the heart of our defence, ...we will always be static and pedestrian, and his constant back and sideways movement like a crab, is placing both our defence and attack under relentless pressure and stress.

It was noticeable against Inverness that the game was passing Lennon by in midfield,.... and yet WGS did not sub him,... instead preferring Jarosik, Miller, McGeady and even Sheridan,.. before we caught a glimpse of Tommy G.

I thought WGS only played Gravesen against Milan and Inverness as a last
throw of the dice,... when he saw both of those games slipping away from us.

And IMO it was Tommy G's eventual entry that kept us in both of those vital games..

I still am certain there is a ongoing vendetta between WGS and Tommy G,
which is now eating into our performances on the field..

It has to be sorted out soon,... luck dozen't last forever..

 

agree with most of that hopefully next year we will be rid of him and we can focus on being more creative and inventive. hes a decent player, but he can no longer handle it. a large number of the supporters are fed up with his speed (or lack of it), and his negativeness in passing the ball. he should go at the end of the season; thanks lennon for your hard work, but its time to move on.

 

My opinion is that wee Lenny should go in the summer. The wee man has been immense for us through the years and I will always remember him as a great player full of commitment and desire. The time surely has come for Celtic to move to the next level and try and get us more mobile with great quick passing, players throughout the midfield that are capable of defence splitting passes and make us the force we once were. Neil has done us proud through many a battle, but after this season I hope we push on with fresh ideas to make us a force in Europe again.

 

* ill eat u for breakfast bud

where 2 begin after that reply..haha..

firstly..

i honestly dont give a monkeys HOW OLD LENNON IS...hes not good enough end of

lennon is a legend in your mind good for u

ur quick 2 dismiss my opinion as stupid...who u kidding?? NO ONE
I CARE whether were boring... that turtle in midfield is a timebomb waiting 2 explode his average anger at superior players like tommy g and mcgeady

BEST LEAGUE IN THE WORLD KNOW UVE LOST IT BOY MALONE..

ever watch seria a or la liga bud????????? WORLDS APART TECHNICALLY APART FROM THE NON ENGLISH ARSENAL

im not a kenny miller fan but by * lennon defo dosent help his game playing as a third centre half and letting the opposition get back in position..

WATCH LENNON ON PLAYER CAM good lord its bad enough watching celtic at momment NEVER MIND THE TURTLE spraying the ball around 2 yards lol

ill ask u BOY 2 go home and do ur homework on a CL quality holding midfielder like ROY KEANE and post when u have learned about the game more

 

I'm afraid to say he's not on the form he used to be on. He barely ever passes the ball up the pitch nowadays, and he's been making one or two mistakes. He is a great player, but with Celtic most likely signing another midfielder in the Summer, he may be gone at the end of the season. I would prefer it if he stayed one more season, and did a bit like Lambert. Not play as much, but keep going in training, pysching up the players, and keeping fit. He will be good back-up as well. In a few seasons he should be coach.

 

Now you are talking...

Lennon's days are done now...he has almost came to a full stop in the middle of the field.....

I say he should go now...before his immobility and negative tactics cost us
both progress in the Champion's League and success in the Scottish Cup..

The late and great Jock Stein never flinched at removing a player from the field of action, if he could no longer cut the mustard, no matter his stature or reputation.

As for Charlie Nicholas, I have said all I have to say about that * in this forum,.... he is the most Anti Celtic commentator on the box IMO...he is maybe an Ex Celtic player, ....but that goes for * all when he is continually running down the Tic,..and we should remember he used to play with the Huns before us..

 

He certainly ain't the reason why we are so boring this season. there are 11 players on the field, he is one of them. he belongs to the defence, which is supposed to avoid goals. name me one number 6 player in the world who gives riquelme-like-passes. there are 3 other midfielders, who are supposed to support the offence (mainly) and defence as well. lennon has done a * fine job so far this season, he makes sure the other central midfielder can do the offensive work (not lenny's part!) by covering him.

and what the heck does he have to do with miller? he can't finish, only he is to blame, nothing and nobody else. he gets plenty of opportunities every game and normally doesn't score, so the midfield actually does the job.
I'm one of the biggest roy keane admirer, but he rarely did something different than lenny (in his last years, HOLDING midfielder), he was no playmaker anymore.

it's the same old story, people who have never played football can't rate the no 6 position, no insult, it's normal you can only appreciate it when you have played that position or you have been a defender, you see his hardwork only on the pitch, not in the stands.

for me lennon used to be a massive player and still is good enough for us, especially off the pitch many young players like sno benefit from him.

 

i aint read all of these pages but i dont need to.......

Neil Lennon is a celtic legend and to me the people who slag him off are either stupid, have short memories or are just glory hunters who have just latched on in the last couple of years!

He was solid as a rock during our trip to seville but even before that he was imense for us, cutting out passes, making last-gap tackles, calming it down and taking pressure of us with his great sense of awareness and also his leadership skills have done wonders....why the * would he be first choice every week sinse he joined? He might be getting old and past it now in some people's views but to me we still need his experience

 

AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!

Can we give up talkin aboot lennon for lent or something

Every forum,every fvckin week.people * like spoiled little fvcks.We are fvckin champions and fvckin in the last 16,he is a part of that and achieved that.Somethin McStay,Larsson,Sutton could not do.

Go back and take a rain check when we were getting pummelled by Rangers every season as they inched closer to Nine in a row and we were working with dross.This club has came huge strides in last 10 years MON and his players had a huge part to play in that and neil lennon is still taking us forward on the park and you cvnts *?

fvckin reality check paulo

 

here here

 

hey! i like lennon but when ur time is up ur time is up. i see 2meany games this season passing him by! i agree he wears his hart on his sleve but we have better playes in the squad that do more for the team! sno will be a better player than lennon if he gets the chance but i would not let lennon go. paul lambert and tom boyd where club captains and diddnt play every week our young players can learn from lennon if he keeps a cool head on and off the park.
p.s lennon is a legend in my eyes no mater what any1 says and i will miss him!!!

 

Just because former players and pundits agree on Lennon doesn't mean that Bobobhoy isn't entitled to his opinion. While I don't agree with Bobobhoy and have had this discussion with him many times I still believe he is entitled to make his point without people accusing him of talking *.

And since I'm on I think Lennon has been a very valuable player and a great captain. I do, however, believe we need to be looking to the future and I think that he should step down after this season.