LENNON TARGET FOR ANDERLECHT

FORMER Celtic boss Neil Lennon has emerged as a shock managerial target for Belgian side Anderlecht.

The Irishman is one of several names on the club’s radar as they search for a replacement for Besnik Hasi, who was sacked yesterday.

Lennon is on a list of candidates Anderlecht are considering along with ex-England gaffer Steve McClaren, axed by Newcastle last season, and former Denmark coach Morten Olsen.

The trio are all out of work and would be able to start with the Brussels club immediately. The club are eager to make a quick appointment after losing the Belgian title two weeks ago to rivals, Club Brugge.

It was that setback, the second in two seasons following Gent’s success in 2014-15, which prompted Anderlecht to fire Hasi after just over two years in the post.

Veteran Olsen, 66, would be favourite with the fans because of his special status as a player in the Anderlecht side which won the UEFA Cup in 1982.

He lives just outside Brussels and commuted to Copenhagen for his Danish FA work. McClaren won a Dutch title with FC Twente in Brussels.

At 44-years-old, Lennon is the youngest candidate, but has Champions League experience with the Hoops. Anderlecht will also have to pre-qualify this summer, going in at the third qualifying round, with Brugge taking the only group stage passport.

Two days ago, Lennon revealed he had been close to rejoining Celtic but lost out Brendan Rodgers. However, he admitted he also saw a future abroad after the torrid time at debt-ridden Bolton, who were relegated to the English third tier at the end of the campaign.

He said: “Moving abroad is definitely something that would interest me, because I’ve enjoyed the European experience at Celtic. No question, if an opportunity arose that I really liked the look of then I’d seriously consider it.”