Lennon was then in his first spell as Celtic manager.
Liam Lawrence has claimed that he once agreed terms over a transfer to Celtic – only for the deal to collapse after Neil Lennon failed to contact him.
Lawrence, the former Sunderland, Portsmouth and Republic of Ireland winger, was playing for Stoke City at the time of his 2010 conversation with the then Celtic manager, who has since returned to the Parkhead hotseat.
Appearing as a guest on Jim White’s Talksport show earlier on Thursday, the 37-year-old explained: “It was when I was leaving Stoke. I had a conversation with Lennon and things progressed.
“We were away with Ireland at the time in Dublin and he came to the hotel and met me.
“We had a chat in a private – I don’t know if I should be talking about this to be honest! We had a chat, sort of agreed terms if you like and agreed everything.
“But after the meeting it went quiet and I never heard from him again. Things happen in football, it happens.
“He [Lennon] never spoke to me again, we left messages. But that’s football, things moved on and I ended up going to Pompey.
“I would have loved to have gone to Celtic – what a club! It’s an amazing club with fantastic heritage. The trophies they’ve won over the years, I could’ve been a part of that.”
Lennon raided English football for several new players that summer, which was his first as Celtic boss.
Joe Ledley (Cardiff), Gary Hooper (Scunthorpe), Fraser Forster (Newcastle) and Lawrence’s former Sunderland teammate, Daryl Murphy, all came through the Parkhead doors en route to a second-placed finish that season.
Lawrence, who would have cost the Bhoys at least £2 million according to The Scotsman, later played for Portsmouth, PAOK Thessaloniki, Barnsley, Shrewsbury Town and Bristol Rovers at league level.
Could Lawrence have made the difference for Celtic that season?
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