Lennon targets promotion, then Europe, with Dunfermline

Lennon had been out of the game for almost a year and had been working as a media pundit before joining the Fife club.

However during his seven-match spell as interim boss – in which time he extracted them from a relegation fight – he could feel this was a project he could work with.

“They made me really welcome,” he added. “But that’s always the case when you’re an interim manager.

“Now that the honeymoon’s over, I’m excited about the ambition that the owner has and I’m excited about building a squad. It’s something I’ve never had to do before.

“I think this is perfect for me. There were other interests, if you want to call it that, but after the end of the season, we made up our mind that we wanted to do this.”

New owner Bord has huge plans for the club and despite maintaining a low profile personally was able to convince Lennon this was the best place to progress.

“I think we had in one week, about seven phone calls where he convinced me to come, and I liked that,” Lennon explained.

“He made me feel that I was their man. And I feel a sense of loyalty to him now.

“I’ve got a good relationship with him. I like the way he works. I like his ideas on the game. It’s new for me to learn as well.

“Ultimately, it’s about building a team that’s going to be competitive in the league. It’s going to get people through the door. That’s what I want to do. And play a really strong brand of football.”